Thursday, June 7th 2012
Workers Riot at Foxconn Chengdu iPhone/iPad Plant
If televised visits by Apple's top-brass to Foxconn's manufacturing facilities, and commitments to improve working conditions were mere PR exercises meant to cover up the issue of dismal working conditions, they failed. About 1,000 workers at Foxconn's manufacturing facility at Chengdu rioted on a large scale, which took the police several hours to subdue. According to media reports, the riot started when the facility guards were trying to stop a thief, while other workers who held grudges against the guards prevented them from catching the thief. Soon, the situation went out of control, as 1,000 workers started a riot. The workers were seen chucking pots, pans, garbage, and even fireworks from their dormitory windows. Public facilities sustained damage, the police made several arrests. The episode reveals that worker-management relations, at least at the Chengdu plant, which manufactures a massive amount of iPhone and iPad products for Apple, are at a breaking point.
Sources:
WantChinaTimes, VR-Zone
107 Comments on Workers Riot at Foxconn Chengdu iPhone/iPad Plant
The problem with manufacturing in America is it doesn't have enough natural resources for manufacturing. In a way China is holding America and the rest of the western world ransom because we need their natural resources.
In a few decades to a century China will be economically as powerful as America, maybe more so. The Chinese will be exporting products to America at 10x the price and there will be nothing America can do. So enjoy it now because China will get the last laugh. :)
I believe China as an independent country is just behind or on par with USA for manufacturing, which says alot considering China is almost like a third world country in certain districts.
It's amazing a country which has a weak economy (but growing rapidly) and is near third world has equal manufacturing than a superpower like America. Think how things will be in a few decades :)
China has a lot of issue surround its Government, but will become a superpower by default. The sheer size of the country and quantity of citizens means its bound to happen, look at any financial article and there are plenty of statistics on this matter.
Do not confuse China with Hong Kong, Hong Kong is culturally different and their government is completely different, they are more socialist and have good working conditions for employees, basic human rights, animal rights, respect for copyright and privacy and actively enforce it. They have things you expect from a civilised society in the 21st century.Compared to South East Asia on a whole yes. I.e. China, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, East Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore etc
It's not America bashing I'm telling 100% documented facts. Would you rather I lie?
And the internet sheep do not represent by a huge distance the vision, practice and morals of the rationalist humanity and movement, it's geniuses and conquests. Today is not an intellectual dark age, just remove your shades... The power of Money is just to omnipresent and determinant in life, just look inside churches backyards and backsquadrons, lol.
So only 13% separates a super power like USA compared to a country where its citizens are living like a third world in China. Now if we add South-East Asia on a whole, then yes USA isn't on the radar as China by self is almost on par.
Also to add, USA is slow down manufacturing (for cheaper labour elsewhere and because of diminishing natural resources) whereas China is speeding up manufacturing. One is slowing down where another is speeding up!
The US is also the largest exporter of firearms in the world. Also keep in mind that a lot of these products being made in China were designed and developed in the USA.
Yes, a lot of good ideas came from USA and Europe, being a highly developed countries they have the well educated scientists and researchers. But it doesn't take away that manufacturing is decreasing in the western world. They depend on Asia to mass produce their designs.
Ex:
clothing: all made in China, Vietnam
electronics: all made in China, Taiwan or Japan
toys: all made in China
house tools: all made in China, Swiss, Sweden, Germany, etc
consumables: as above...
Maybe this will help shed some light on the topic.
www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/03/14/148460268/what-america-sells-to-the-world
You don't want me to put China exports list, hahaha. I think 10 pages of this forum wont be enough.... LOL
Yes, death penalty is a bit extreme, they usually reserve that for Citizens that lobby for political change lolI think its needed. Post China. A lot of Americans are still in denial about both China's export and manufacturing power.