Foxconn workers reportedly strike over iPhone 5 quality control rules
Among the many indicators that Apple's outsourcing policies and manufacturing practices are resulting in poor quality products, shortages, and other problems, this is the most disturbing, since it involves "management" practices from the 19th century, including good old fashioned beatings:
Foxconn workers reportedly strike over iPhone 5 quality control rules, say handset design is flawed: Apple is demanding higher quality standards from Foxconn. From the article:
Foxconn workers reportedly strike over iPhone 5 quality control rules, say handset design is flawed: Apple is demanding higher quality standards from Foxconn. From the article:
The report from China Labor Watch noted most of the striking workers were from the factory's onsite quality control (OQC) line, who supposedly are being held to a new set of exacting standards that is causing friction between production line staff and management.Apple is already notorious for demanding quick turnaround from its manufacturing "partners," as recounted in the "Steve Jobs" book, where at the last minute the new iPhone (version 1) was retooled to use a glass screen instead of plastic. It looks like a similar issue has cropped up for the iPhone 5:
Further complicating the situation was a mandate to deny vacation time during the holidays, possibly in an attempt to churn out as many iPhone 5 units as possible before the Christmas season.Sadly, this is nothing new. What follows is much more disturbing:
Workers complained the set of [quality control] rules was too stringent and could not be met without proper training, however Foxconn management allegedly ignored the objections and in some cases were reportedly beaten.The Foxconn strikers responded with some violence of their own:
Workers say a fight between line staff and inspectors in "area K" led to damage in an inspection room, resulting in the injury and hospitalization of some involved in the altercation. Following the incident, another fight broke out in the same area with inspectors once again being "beat up," while on Thursday threats of physical violence were reported in "area L."Many apologists say that (to paraphrase) "Apple is just doing what it needs to do to keep up with the competition -- it's no different that what Dell or HP or Motorola do to produce their products." I think the issue is a little different for Apple: one of the biggest differentiators for Apple in the marketplace is the overall high quality of their products (at least according to Apple). In this case, Apple is demanding higher quality standards from their subcontractor (Foxconn), who is using the kind of draconian "management" techniques that would be quite familiar to miners and garment workers here in the United States, around 1840.
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