Foxconn and Apple keep evading responsibility

[press release]

8 June 2010

Global Day of Remembrance for Foxconn’s Victims

Foxconn and Apple keep evading responsibility

Today is the Global Day of Remembrance for Foxconn’s Victims. Besides the release of the 4th generation i-Phone, it is also the date of the Foxconn International Group (or Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Ltd) held the shareholder meetings in Hong Kong and Taiwan respectively. SACOM members and about 20 activists staged a protest outside the meeting of Foxconn and paid tribute to the deceased workers. To express concerns over the suicides at Foxconn, more than 5,000 organisations and individuals from over 100 countries endorsed SACOM’s petition. While the company received our letter before the meeting, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou reiterated that personal problems and humanitarian aid from the company drove workers to commit suicide. As such, Foxconn will stop issuing any humanitarian aid for the victim’s family. It is deplorable that Foxconn does not see the need to initiate any corrective plan to ease the pressure encountered by the workers.

Last week, Foxconn stated that it would raise wage of workers by 30%. Yesterday, it further announced another proposal to increase wage of workers up to CNY 2000 by October if the workers can pass the performance assessment. SACOM welcomes the wage increase at Foxconn, but is vigilant about the details of the plan. The terms of the plan are obscure, for example, is the amount the basic wage of the workers; does it include the overtime premium; what are the criteria for the assessment?

Afterwards, dozens of concerned activists and students staged another protest outside Studio A, an Apple retailer store located in Causeway Bay. Studio A is owned by Gou Tai-chiang, the younger brother of Terry Gou. Participants delivered white flowers to the 11 victims at Foxconn and paid silent tribute to the deceased workers. Then, protestors declared the crimes of the Apple CEO Steve Jobs, including poisoning workers, employing child labour, compressing delivery time, pressing down unit price. SACOM targets Apple not only due to the issue at Foxconn, but the labour rights violations found in other suppliers. It is incumbent on Apple to investigate the problems in the management methods and working conditions of its suppliers. Equally important, Apple must review its purchasing model.

Apart from SACOM, over 50 international scholars issued an appeal to call on Foxconn to create humane labor standards and end “stealth manufacturing” in IT industry. The letter is available at http://sacom.hk/archives/649. There are also demonstrations in Taiwan and United States to mark the Global Day of Remembrance for Foxconn’s Victims.

Contact persons:

CHAN Sze Wan Debby

Project Officer

Tel: (852) 2398 5464 or (852) 6756 8964

Email: debby@sacom.hk

CHENG Yi Yi

Project Officer

Tel: (852) 2398 5464 or (852) 6012 0312

Email: yycheng@sacom.hk