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>The public-relations fallout concerning their labour practices has become a serious problem for Foxconn. What do you mean by this? What are the ramifications

by tsotha 13y ago

>The public-relations fallout concerning their labour practices has become a serious problem for Foxconn. What do you mean by this? What are the ramifications of this "serious problem"? Are they making less money?

benologist 13y ago
Consequences do exist, although it's still very minimal. This may prompt Sony to do something as significant as Apple's move though and actively audit the companies they work with - In one case, Apple terminated its relationship with a component maker after discovering 74 cases in which underage workers were being employed. Apple also found that an employment agency had forged documents to allow children to work illegally at the supplier. Apple reported both the supplier and the employment agency to the local authorities, the company said in its latest annual report on the conditions in its supply chain. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/technology/apple-labor-audits-uncover-underage-workers.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/technology/apple-labor-aud...
- elithrar 13y ago
  > " This may prompt Sony to do something as significant as Apple's move though..." Where do they [or Apple] go if not Foxconn? Foxconn is huge. Moving production elsewhere, even outside of a major product launch, is likely in the realm of the infeasible.
  - benologist 13y ago
    I don't know much about this stuff but presumably Foxconn has competitors - Samsung and Qualcomm maybe? I'm not sure Foxconn would even fail the audits at this point, they copped a lot of flack for their appalling work conditions and suicide rates in 2010 which I believe contributed to Apple's stance on work conditions since it reflected terribly on them too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides
    - girvo 13y ago
      Foxconn... really doesn't have any competitors at scale. Maybe Quanta, but that's it off the top of my head. They are unlike any other company in the world. Too big to fail, and too big to give a shit about human rights sounds about right for them.
  - e12e 13y ago
    I suppose the common approach is to go look for another contractor, ignoring the possibility that that contractor might sub-contract back to Foxxconn... but maybe I'm just too cynical.
- tsotha 13y ago
  But that's not Foxconn, is it? From what I can see outside of Chinese labor cost inflation it's been pretty smooth sailing for Foxconn in recent years.
  - benologist 13y ago
    It wasn't Foxconn, but I think after Foxconn got dragged through the spotlight in 2010 they had to clean their act up significantly - but I don't know if this is just the groups that work with Apple or their entire operation. The link I posted above did have a pretty drastic drop in suicides after 2010.

by tsotha 13y ago

benologist 13y ago

Consequences do exist, although it's still very minimal. This may prompt Sony to do something as significant as Apple's move though and actively audit the companies they work with - In one case, Apple terminated its relationship with a component maker after discovering 74 cases in which underage workers were being employed. Apple also found that an employment agency had forged documents to allow children to work illegally at the supplier. Apple reported both the supplier and the employment agency to the local authorities, the company said in its latest annual report on the conditions in its supply chain. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/technology/apple-labor-audits-uncover-underage-workers.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/technology/apple-labor-aud...

elithrar 13y ago
> " This may prompt Sony to do something as significant as Apple's move though..." Where do they [or Apple] go if not Foxconn? Foxconn is huge. Moving production elsewhere, even outside of a major product launch, is likely in the realm of the infeasible.
- benologist 13y ago
  I don't know much about this stuff but presumably Foxconn has competitors - Samsung and Qualcomm maybe? I'm not sure Foxconn would even fail the audits at this point, they copped a lot of flack for their appalling work conditions and suicide rates in 2010 which I believe contributed to Apple's stance on work conditions since it reflected terribly on them too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn_suicides
  - girvo 13y ago
    Foxconn... really doesn't have any competitors at scale. Maybe Quanta, but that's it off the top of my head. They are unlike any other company in the world. Too big to fail, and too big to give a shit about human rights sounds about right for them.
- e12e 13y ago
  I suppose the common approach is to go look for another contractor, ignoring the possibility that that contractor might sub-contract back to Foxxconn... but maybe I'm just too cynical.
tsotha 13y ago
But that's not Foxconn, is it? From what I can see outside of Chinese labor cost inflation it's been pretty smooth sailing for Foxconn in recent years.
- benologist 13y ago
  It wasn't Foxconn, but I think after Foxconn got dragged through the spotlight in 2010 they had to clean their act up significantly - but I don't know if this is just the groups that work with Apple or their entire operation. The link I posted above did have a pretty drastic drop in suicides after 2010.