iPhone Owners Protesting at Apple HQ Over Foxconn

[v1ze]

What separates Apple in this argument is their corporate attitude. Apple, intentionally or not, has a holier than thou attitude that people either extremely dislike or allow themselves to be a part of. You can mention all the other companies that use Foxconn but it falls on deaf ears because these other companies aren't nearly as condescending towards everyone else. "You're holding your iPhone wrong."

If you fancy yourself a company that truly transcends society rather than just selling technology products, of course everyone looks to you to do the right thing first.

 

[invlem]

You'd be lucky to find one current piece of electronics, be it a cell phone, computer, TV, etc that doesn't have at least 1 component made by Foxconn.

Foxconn makes everything under the sun for most of the major brands.

 

[techcurious]

wait wait.. So they are going to dress up as walking iPhone billboards and hold up iPhone adverts?? Even while protesting, they can't stop promoting Apple products?? Unless their costumes depict iPhones dripping with blood or with pictures of crying kids on them, I am totally missing the point!

 

[viciouz2000]

So do these apple users know that apple prices will go up if they start to complain about working conditions in other countries which are perfectly legal in that said country?

 

[matt_b]

[citation][nom]The greater Good[/nom]I love this excuse. "B-B-But other people do it too!" Yeah, some parts of the world still allow slavery. Since they're doing it, EVERYONE SHOULD! That's the argument you're making. Silly, ain't it?[/citation]
Like stated, you need to comprehend what he wrote a little better. If anything, the "but everyone else is doing it" is what the companies on that list have told themselves when they decided to pack up from where they were originally and move manufacturing into the Chinese Foxconn sweatshops.

 

[wildkitten]

[citation][nom]The greater Good[/nom]I love this excuse. "B-B-But other people do it too!" Yeah, some parts of the world still allow slavery. Since they're doing it, EVERYONE SHOULD! That's the argument you're making. Silly, ain't it?[/citation]
I don't see the person you quoted as making excuses, I'm seeing the person you quoted as relaying information on what other companies use Foxconn to make parts for their products and asking those consumers to step up like Apple users have. So perhaps instead of making snarky comments you may want to practice your comprehension skills.

 

[wildkitten]

Here's a little side issue people tend to forget. We sort of dictate that Apple and these other companies use businesses like Foxconn. If Apple made the iPhone or iPad in the US, it would cost over $1000 just to manufacture. The same holds true about costs for other companies and their products. If they cost that much, we wouldn't buy them, and that wouldn't be unreasonable on our part.

Honestly, there is no easy, quick solution. One of the problems is, we in the US look to see how we can make the most money for the least amount of work. Not unreasonable either, but it's been taken to extremes. Seems like no one takes pride in their work anymore. When I was in high school, I worked as a cashier in a grocery store, one that was unionized. I saw the union stand up for the person who was fired 4 times for cause. Once for drinking on the job, once for stealing at another store (would you want someone handling your money if they stole from others?), once for starting a fight with someone else and I can not remember what the fourth time was. The union every single time put 100% effort into getting this person's job back for them. Unfortunately for employees who worked hard, they would fight against merit promotions and raises and I saw several who came in starting working hard just give up because their hard work never paid off so just slacked off like others. That made me really dislike unions. It's like GM and Toyota. They can sell an equal amount of cars, but one loses money and has to be bailed out, the other is successful and pays it's workers a fair wage.

I say that to give an example of why companies go outside to do business. Until we make changes in a LOT of areas, nothing will really change and it will just get worse. But this isn't just Apple's or Motorola's or any other companies fault. A lot of it has to do with how we think and what we expect in many areas.

 

[jungleboogiemonster]

[citation][nom]Phishy714[/nom]I hope all these isheep who start to question their master are willing to pay an extra premium for the icraps once Apple actually does something about work conditions..Apple Exe:"You wan't us to make better work conditions for Foxconn? Sure! Here, you can even pay for it through even more overpriced icrap products!"[/citation]

I recently saw a figure that it would cost an extra $65 to make an iPhone in the United States. Considering the profit margin on the phone part of that could be eaten by apple and part by the consumer in a slightly higher cost. The reasons why Apple and other companies use China isn't about labor, it's about supply chain.

 

[wildkitten]

[citation][nom]jungleboogiemonster[/nom]I recently saw a figure that it would cost an extra $65 to make an iPhone in the United States. Considering the profit margin on the phone part of that could be eaten by apple and part by the consumer in a slightly higher cost. The reasons why Apple and other companies use China isn't about labor, it's about supply chain.[/citation]
Not sure where you get that $65 dollars extra.

http/www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/01/25/the-real-reason-the-u-s-doesnt-make-iphones-we-wouldnt-want-to/

That article makes it quite clear if they made the iPhone in the US, their increase in labor costs would be 25 BILLION dollars. That would be 11 billion more than their profit. "...The average manufacturing wage in 2010 is about $2.00 in China and $34.75 in America. By locating the same iPhone factory in America, Apple would add more than $25 billion in labor costs a year, which would completely wipe out Apple’s 2010 profit of $14 billion..."

I'm seeing a lot more than just $65 added to the price.

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]wildkitten[/nom]Not sure where you get that $65 dollars extra.http/www.forbes.com/sites/forbes [...] t-want-to/That article makes it quite clear if they made the iPhone in the US, their increase in labor costs would be 25 BILLION dollars. That would be 11 billion more than their profit. "...The average manufacturing wage in 2010 is about $2.00 in China and $34.75 in America. By locating the same iPhone factory in America, Apple would add more than $25 billion in labor costs a year, which would completely wipe out Apple’s 2010 profit of $14 billion..."I'm seeing a lot more than just $65 added to the price.[/citation]
Compound that with cost of living between the two countries:-
...
http/www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=China&country2=United+States
...
These people are not paid "slave" wages, monthly salary of 1,650 yuan (US$ 261), and can increase to 2,400 and to 3,200 yuan (US$ 379 and US$506) after appraisal. This is notably higher than Shenzhen’s minimum wage of 1,500 yuan (US$ 238) and 1,260 yuan (US$ 200) in Beijing.
...
Things to note - everybody rents, it's just a cultural thing, like in Switzerland, and everything is cheaper apart from some obviously artificially inflated items like Nike trainers and Levi jeans, even though they are probably made 4 miles away by your Uncle Zao, gas is more expensive and even though it seems like there are a lot of cars the vast majority use public transport
...
The protests are pointless posturing, they want to force Foxconn to pay people who are already getting a very well paid job (by local standards) and living costs a tiny fraction of what is paid in the USA - all becase they got in the news for having a suicide rate that is a fraction of the local, regional, national and demographical average across the board. Here is a scary fact, Police Officers in Detroit have a higher suicide rate than at Foxconn - how about you get off your hippy asses and protest at the Michigan Hall Of Justice to give Cops a bigger pay packet instead?

 

[irh_1974]

[citation][nom]jungleboogiemonster[/nom]I recently saw a figure that it would cost an extra $65 to make an iPhone in the United States[/citation]
Was that just parts or did that include USA wages, pensions, union contributions, benefits, healthcare, etc etc etc? Americans have 5 times more disposable income after tax and it shows.

 

[rantoc]

[citation][nom]wildkitten[/nom]Here's a little side issue people tend to forget. We sort of dictate that Apple and these other companies use businesses like Foxconn. If Apple made the iPhone or iPad in the US, it would cost over $1000 just to manufacture. The same holds true about costs for other companies and their products. If they cost that much, we wouldn't buy them, [/citation]

And what dream economy did you cook up those numbers from? The 18's century where all work was manually perhaps or just trying the scare tactics? Today its the 20'th century and the bigger part of the top world nations top manufacturing is done in modern facility's....

As for Apple being picked on as the no.1 unethical company in the list i agree with that, why?

Because every fanboi is so darn eager to point out they have the highest margins and have the most on the bank and their right - they lack much of the competition that the other companies have in the pc and phone markets and thus have the biggest headroom to make the changes but do they? No!

I don't say any company is innocent but the company that earns the most from it is also the most guilty - Why not go after the drug lord first then move on to the pushers, its quite logical and once the momentum builds the rest will likely fall into line once they realize people will actually use the last few rights we still have...

Choice, between sweatshop produced where people suffer so you can get that new shiny toy or spend around 100$ extra and can sleep well at night knowing your new toy also made the workers who produced it haver food on the table and can also sleep at night. For me that choice is simple!

 

[Guest]

"I use an iPhone myself. I love it, but I don’t love having to support sweatshops, and neither do millions of other Apple consumers," said Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, executive director of SumOfUs....what? That's like a drug abuser saying, "I really hate using dope, but they just keep selling it to me." What a moron. Why doesn't she ask the 'poor' Chinese worker if he wants to work or not. Secondly, let's just shift those jobs back to the USA so she can pay $1000 for heri-fone. Eco101 will go a long way, sweetcakes.

 

[wildkitten]

[citation][nom]rantoc[/nom]And what dream economy did you cook up those numbers from? The 18's century where all work was manually perhaps or just trying the scare tactics? Today its the 20'th century and the bigger part of the top world nations top manufacturing is done in modern facility's....As for Apple being picked on as the no.1 unethical company in the list i agree with that, why?Because every fanboi is so darn eager to point out they have the highest margins and have the most on the bank and their right - they lack much of the competition that the other companies have in the pc and phone markets and thus have the biggest headroom to make the changes but do they? No!I don't say any company is innocent but the company that earns the most from it is also the most guilty - Why not go after the drug lord first then move on to the pushers, its quite logical and once the momentum builds the rest will likely fall into line once they realize people will actually use the last few rights we still have...Choice, between sweatshop produced where people suffer so you can get that new shiny toy or spend around 100$ extra and can sleep well at night knowing your new toy also made the workers who produced it haver food on the table and can also sleep at night. For me that choice is simple![/citation]
Did you not read the post i made a couple more down where it talks if Apple were to manufacture the iPhone in the US, that it would ADD $25 billion to their labor cost which was $11 billion more than their 2010 profit? That article also goes on to point out that the largest shareholders are actually things like mutual funds, where we have our money.

And while the facilities may be modern, it's about wages and benefits. The unfortunate fact is the American worker would demand many times more in wages than a Chinese worker, and that's not even getting into benefit packages. Then of course you will have a union try to come in to take away all incentive for hard work by going to a seniority system rather than merit.

Now I am not saying that the conditions at Foxconn are right. What I am saying is we as Americans have driven companies to find outside conditions because we refuse to work as hard as our parents and grandparents did, we don't seem to have pride in our work so much as pride in our ability to find ways NOT to work. We then wouldn't turn around and pay the extra high price goods produced here would cost. Just a few days ago Tom's had an article about Verizon coming out with a new Droid model of Motorola's that was going to cost $50 more than a typical smart phone usually does and people were outraged over the price.

 

[gogogadgetliver]

"iPhone OWNERS protesting...over foxcon"

YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG YOU TWITS! Stupid danm sheep if you don't like your crap being made with basically endentured servants the don't make it your crap to begin with. Once you own the danm thing it's a bit late to be protesting how they are making them.

Oh wait, I get it. You are doing a superficial protest to match your superficial product desires. Nice. Consistent.

I swear Apple is the Paris Hilton of the computer world.

 

[Guest]

So I assume all these people protesting sweetshop like conditions were naked, cause I'm pretty certain that almost all clothes are made the same way, long days of child labour with shitty pay.

 

[foxmulder_ms]

Foxconn news become boring like 5 ears ago...

 

[tomfreak]

instead of protesting Apple, Iphone owners should just sell their phone away, There is no point protesting if they are being part of those things how Hypocrite!

 

[ojas]

[citation][nom]cyprod[/nom]???App is short for application, and has been in use since....at least the 1970s. I want to say the term "app" pre-dates apple, but the first use I know of was "the killer app" visicalc on the apple IIe. But I can't believe that was the first time "app" was ever used. Apple didn't invent the paraphrase "app" for application. And contrary to popular belief, they also didn't popularize it, as it was in wide spread use long before jobs calling iphone programs "apps".[/citation]
Ah...i see, didn't know that. But yeah, part of what i said still remains true, executables on mac os have the *.app extension. I thought this is how "app" became hip.