NOTE: I originally hesitated before posting this
story, which was published on the website of CBS News/Seattle last Tuesday and
also reported on the air, because I sometimes worry about being a
“downer.” But my family has a close and
permanent affiliation with Wuhan, so I thought I should because it is so sad and
shocking. (Despite
the fact that Im sure we all have suffered lousy days at work, I can’t
recall ever considering, let alone organizing, a mass suicide initiative as a
solution.) The story also stands in stark contrast to the things our own
political media seems to regard as vitally important these days (e.g., Mitt Romney’s income tax rate; Callista
Gingrich’s hair. Actually, Mrs. Gingrich’s hair does have a
certain “man bites dog” aspect to it.)
The Foxconn-Microsoft story follows on last year’s reports of mass suicides at Foxconn’s
Apple
manufacturing facilities. Although this month's events received
significant international “pick-up” (by Google's calculation, about 550
articles were published), it appears to have made no noticeable impact, on public or media consciousness, i.e., it's your classic "one-day
story." But imagine if this were Your life, All your Life was and ever would Be. How would you feel?
Nets in
place
By
William McGuinness
SEATTLE,
Wash. (CBS Seattle) – January 10, 2012 11:31 AM
Some 300
Chinese Foxconn employees who manufacture X-box 360 machines said they would
throw themselves from their Wuhan, China, plant if demands for lost wages were
not met.
China
Jasmine Revolution, an activist revolutionary organization with a name borrowed
from the Tunisian revolt that set off the Middle East unrest, reported that
employees made their demands for a wage increase for 100 employees on Jan. 2.
Management
at Foxconn — the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer and a
crucial link in the supply chains of Apple, Dell, Nintendo and Song — responded
with an ultimatum. Employees could quit with one month’s compensation awarded
for each year with the plant or go back to working.
Many employees quit, but
Foxconn allegedly dishonored the agreement and awarded former employees
nothing.
Around 300 workers
returned to the plant in an uproar, and staged their protest on the plant’s
roof on Jan. 4.
Rooftop action
Wuhan’s mayor intervened
through hours of negotiations, walking them back from the roof’s edge until 9
p.m. when workers agreed to return to work, according to China.com.
In an
email to CBS Seattle, a Foxconn spokesperson confirmed the “workplace incident”
occurred but said the workers protested because the company planned to move the
workers from one business unit to another on the same campus as a result of
shifts in the production line.
“The welfare of our
employees is our top priority and we are committed to ensuring that all
employees are treated fairly and that their rights are fully protected. The
operational changes that were the basis for this incident are being carried out
in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations,” the spokesperson said.
Nets
A Microsoft spokesperson
wrote CBS Seattle a statement saying, “Microsoft takes working conditions in
the factories that manufacture its products very seriously, and we are
currently investigating this issue. We have a stringent Vendor Code of Conduct
that spells out our expectations, and we monitor working conditions closely on
an ongoing basis and address issues as they emerge. Microsoft is committed to
the fair treatment and safety of workers employed by our vendors, and to
ensuring conformance with Microsoft policy.”
Foxconn came under fire in
2010 when workers successfully committed suicide in a plant that manufactured
components for Apple. Then, Foxconn told media that it considered every
worker’s life to be valuable while some plants required workers to sign
contracts stating that they wouldn’t kill themselves.
Factory
Wired magazine was granted access to the
factories, which installed nets that would catch anyone attempting to jump.
Counseling center
Touring the Longhua plant
in 2011, Terry Gou, the chairman of Foxconn parent Hon Hai Precision, said
suicide rates among workers in his plants were smaller compared to the country’s
and added a country’s suicide rate typically climbs when its GDP does, Forbes
reported.
Rooftop action
Link: Ohio (Neil Young, Massey Hall, Toronto, 1971) (This
story reminded me of Ohio and Neil’s lyric: "What if you knew her/And
found her dead on the ground/How can you run when you know?")
