Foxconn installs suicide nets at factories.

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Meh...rather than actually improve working conditions...install suicide nets to catch some of the ones driven to suicide.

Sounds typical for the Chinese.

Typical Anti-Asian sentiments from you. Shrug. BTW, Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that's operating a factory in mainland China. So what? How is this any different from Nike paying sub par wages? The fact that 400,000 Chinese are willing to work here says something. But seriously, what's stopping them from quitting? Asian countries like Japan and China already have a problem with suicides. It has to do with culture. If I don't like my job in the US I'll quit.

 

[Malak]

wow, foxconn really sounds like one of the vilest large companies around. to meet the minimum pay recommended by a CHINESE labor union they had to DOUBLE the pay.

what the ffff. that's mindblowing. now they're just paying the minimum they can get by with.

What's worse, the company that makes those decisions or the customers that ignore it? If anyone actually cared they wouldn't purchase products from the companies that deal with Foxconn.

 

[BoomerD]

Typical Anti-Asian sentiments from you. Shrug. BTW, Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that's operating a factory in mainland China. So what? How is this any different from Nike paying sub par wages? The fact that 400,000 Chinese are willing to work here says something. But seriously, what's stopping them from quitting? Asian countries like Japan and China already have a problem with suicides. It has to do with culture. If I don't like my job in the US I'll quit.

IMO, they ALL pay sub-par wages...but I haven't seen any stories about Nike having to install "anti-suicide nets" in their factories...have you?

 

[Anubis]

I'm pretty sure there are more ways than falling to accomplish this.

she jumped off the roof actually, more then once she was saved by the nets once and then did it again

 

[DannyLove]

This is sad..... very very sad

 

[AreaCode707]

In case the rallies, slogans and pay increases don’t raise morale enough to stem the tide of suicides, Foxconn left suicide nets in place at its facilities that are designed to catch workers before they hit the ground, although it removed them from one facility (see update below).

“No matter how hard we try, such things will continue to happen,” is how Louis Woo, assistant to the founder of Foxconn’s parent company Hon Hai Precision Industry explained the situation at its factories, in a statement.

"Don't blame us for all these suicides! We inched up our slave wages, installed suicide nets and forced employees to wear I <3 company t-shirts, what MORE can we do to improve the working environment? From here on out, it's those stupid workers' fault."

According to the company, &#8220;success&#8221; is the root of the morale problems it&#8217;s trying to excise from its workforce

Oh yeah, that is TOTALLY the problem! You see the founding members of Microsoft, Apple and Facebook jumping off buildings all the time because they're so successful.

 

[sdifox]

Stop buying electronics made in the PRC if you feel so strongly about it. Foxconn is not the company making a killing.

 

[geno]

I'd hit at least two of the girls in that picture.

This is Taiwan we're talking about, so at least two of those girls are guys. Choose wisely.

 

[sdifox]

This is Taiwan we're talking about, so at least two of those girls are guys. Choose wisely.

err, the factories are in the PRC.

 

[techs]

This is Taiwan we're talking about, so at least two of those girls are guys. Choose wisely.

err, the factories are in the PRC.

Choose wisely, is always good advice.

 

[rockyct]

What the article didn't tell you is that the nets actually funnel the workers down to a processing plant, where they are processed into iSoylent, a delicious and nutritious new snack food.

and the bones are used for "eco friendly" phone casings.

 

[sandorski]

I wonder if they include it as part of the benefits package? They care about their employees!

Indeed. That Union sucks.

 

[tfinch2]

I find the youtube at the bottom much more amusing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HUBVuaCIPo&feature=player_embedded#!

It's funny because it's true.

 

[feralkid]

Typical Anti-Asian sentiments from you. Shrug. BTW, Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that's operating a factory in mainland China. So what? How is this any different from Nike paying sub par wages? The fact that 400,000 Chinese are willing to work here says something. But seriously, what's stopping them from quitting? Asian countries like Japan and China already have a problem with suicides. It has to do with culture. If I don't like my job in the US I'll quit.

Has something to do with being young and alone having to work at a factory built in the middle of nowhere far away from your home and family where you must work 60 hours a week, live in a dormitory and eat at the company canteen.

They don't let you just walk away, and there's nowhere to walk to if you did manage to escape.


Suicide seems the only option for some.

Enjoy your iPhone.

 

[CottonRabbit]

While I dislike relying on anti-suicide measures like these that don't address the root issues, suicide nets aren't particularly unique to Foxconn. Any organization hoping to combat suicides will logically consider the use of physical barriers. The suicide nets were approved for the Golden Gate bridge, and just last semester my school put up ugly fences on all of our bridges after a rash of suicides.

 

[fustercluck]

Yeah Foxconn sounds like an evil company made up for a hollywood script.

Old news though, but here's a funny report on it Colbert did - Colbert Link!

 

[Wheezer]

At least if they have a problem they only hurt themselves....not go on some shooing rampage killing innocents then having family members cry racism to excuse their actions.

 

[dfuze]

Nets... so much easier and cheaper than fixing the underlying issues of having a horrible work environment

 

[Sureshot324]

So they increased wages, installed suicide nets, and hold morale rallies. Sounds like they did everything but actually improve the horrible working conditions that actually drove the workers to suicide in the first place.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I'm waiting for some of them to commit suicide by choking on an i[Choke]Phone.

 

[Bill Brasky]

The guy looks pissed he's wearing pink and a fairy arm band. lol

 

[SagaLore]

I'd hit at least two of the girls in that picture.

2nd one from the left, in the front?

 

[DesiPower]

whats it called? iNet?

 

[DrPizza]

That's totally bizarre.

Also, nothing like free pink t-shirts to raise morale!

With symbols in another language that you don't understand. That picture is nothing but PR directed toward American consumers.

 

[Blackjack200]

With symbols in another language that you don't understand. That picture is nothing but PR directed toward American consumers.

Clearly the PR director doesn't realize that when Americans see a bunch of employees with that kind of T-Shirt on they assume that they are being forced to wear them, which makes it even worse.