chinese labor factories Essays

Submitted By jgp011
Words: 721
Pages: 3
Open Document
Topic: Working Conditions in Chinese Labor Factors

Today, many companies from the United States, such as Apple and Nike, develop and create their product in China. The main reason for this type of outsourcing is due to a company’s desire to increase profits by providing the best possible product at least cost in order to maintain and maximize demand.“To thrive, companies argue they need to move work where it can generate enough profits to keep paying for innovation, creating the lowest price to create the most profit possible.” One would argue that the company’s duty is not to provide jobs, solve the economy’s problems, or follow the regulations with in their own country. With this type of mentality, international corporations established inhumane working conditions and life threatening labor practices in Chinese factories for their own benefit, which is a reoccurring issue. One of the main issues is manufacturing companies exploit workers for cheap labor. The athletic and fitness establishment, Nike, pays each employee only $17 for 12 hours. Reports also claim that 16- and 17-year-olds work 15-hour shifts for about 50 cents an hour. With an income as low as these, people are find it difficult and struggle to provide the basic necessities for themselves, let alone their families. Even if employees are forced to work overtime after there already excessive hours, no compensation is provided for them. Ones pay is even subtracted if they are found talking or using the bathroom during working hours.
Even with these low wages, employees live in demining and cruel environments. To maximize profits, many factories establish living accommodations for workers. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, otherwise known as Foxconn who provides the labor and factories for Apple Inc, keeps their employees in overcrowded dormitories run by military-like security forces. Management controls every aspect of workers’lives, monitoring the 24 people sleeping crammed in huge blockhouses. Living in these dorms, they can be summoned at any time to work and they have little or no choice. Workers are only allowed to leave the factory grounds at certain times. Days off are rare and trips home to visit family are only allowed once a year.
The workers have to put up with a strictly regimented lifestyle and an overwhelming lack of freedom. This type of lifestyle creates anxiety and fear in the workers of losing their jobs if they do not comply with their superiors. Many studies also suggest that workers experience a great deal of depression. Among factory workers alone, the suicide rate is over 20 deaths per 100,000 persons. Due to the short cuts in imposing uniform safety standards on China's fragmented and fast-expanding factory businesses, misfortunes cause the lives of many. Last year, 70,000 workers were killed in China by workplace accidents alone, which is roughly 200 people per day. In one incident, the facilities of Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Co blew up in flames due to an ammonia leak that led death
Show More

Related Documents: chinese labor factories Essays

Apple Business Ethics

functioning as a whole and achieving that one common goal specified by the corporation (Forbes.com). Apple’s ethics recently though have came into question, through the attacks that they are facing regarding work within Chinese factories to produce their products and the child labor laws that they are breaking to make that one iPhone or MacBook. Though, one might argue that Apple has a stronger bond and promise with its consumers because they are the ones providing the profit rather than those that…

Words 2218 - Pages 9

China Apparel Outsourcing Report Essay

Executive Summary 4 Background Introduction 4 Why are Most Things Made in China? 5 Lower Labor Cost 5 Fine craftsmanship 6 Speed of delivery 6 Other Factors 6 Labor-intensive Manufacturing Shifting Out of China 6 Increasing Labor Cost 6 Low Margin of Textile Industry 7 Lower demand due to the Influence of Slow Global Economy 8 Pressure against Chinese Exports 8 Local Factories Moving up the Value Chain 8 Other Potential Countries for Outsourcing 9 Vietnam 9 India 9…

Words 4135 - Pages 17

Working Conditions in China Essay

working environments. In Chinese society it is nothing like this. Since the difference between the rich and poor is a lot greater in China than it is here, many of the poor jump at the opportunity to work in a factory or sweatshop job. They are very low paying and are not provided with a safe and healthy environment to work in. Often times the terrible environment is accompanied with abuse provided by the managers. It is not getting any better either because…

Words 1885 - Pages 8

Manufacturing in the Us Essay

Within five years, a Boston Consulting Group analysis concludes, rising Chinese wages, higher U.S. productivity, a weaker dollar, and other factors will virtually close the cost gap between the U.S. and China for many goods consumed in North America. LOOK AT TOTAL COSTS Companies should undertake a rigorous, product-by-product analysis of their global supply networks that fully accounts for total costs, rather than just factory wages. For many products sold in North America, the U.S. will become…

Words 6009 - Pages 25

study eassy Essays

Being Made in Africa The cost of labor in China is going up, so Chinese manufacturers are moving to Africa, and they’re playing all the angles. HONG KONG — Sun Qiaoming is a trader from Jiangsu. He operates his import-export business on the Eastern coast of China, where there is plenty of space for a man with his drive and skills to prosper. Already fairly successful, he recently set his sights beyond his country’s borders. “There’s been much talk about the Chinese Dream in the past few years, but…

Words 1156 - Pages 5

Child Labor In Hong Kong

BA 420 Global Research Paper Tiffany Smith It has been reported that there is an estimate of about 250 million children all between the ages of 5 and 14 are child labor workers and are working in developing countries. A shocking 61% of that 250 million comes from Asia. It may shock many that that modern times does not change that fact that we still have helpless children working basically as slaves. Many of these children work in sweatshops. “A sweatshop is a workplace where workers are subjected…

Words 1714 - Pages 7

Civil War Women

The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in American history and it left the country in shambles. After a brief period of reconstruction, America experienced a period of growth that dramatically changed the country. Innovation, industrialization, education, and immigration were just a few of the factors that influenced America during the period. The war ended slavery but it did not end discrimination. Civil rights and workers’ rights became huge issues. African Americans continued to face racism…

Words 1499 - Pages 6

Asian Immigration To The United States

birthplace rather than by country of chargeability. Supporters and opponents of Chinese immigration affirm that Chinese labor was indispensable to the economic prosperity of the west. The Chinese worked in mines, swamps, and construction and in factories, which could be life threatening and not easy to accomplish, many jobs that the Caucasians did not want to do was left to the Chinese. Some believed that the Chinese were inferior to the…

Words 336 - Pages 2

Chinese Immigration Research Paper

opportunities. The rise of industries created a need for workers which was filled by immigrants coming from all parts of the world. Most immigrants came to explore economic opportunities while some came to escape the problems in their home country. The Chinese, who primarily settled in California, came to take advantage of America's economic opportunities. On the other hand, the Jews, who mostly settled in New York, came to escape execution in Russia. This paper will discuss the experiences of the two groups…

Words 1973 - Pages 8

The Industrial Revolution: Freedoms, Restrictions, And Effects

| The Industrial Revolution marked the age of invention and the birth of capitalism, which was great for some. However, it was not a prosperous time for everyone. It was a period of hard labor and dangerous working conditions. Industrialism created new freedoms for many, especially women but still created restrictions of freedom for others. Before industrialism, farming was the way of life. It was the source of income and survival. Working…

Words 645 - Pages 3