Categories: Need to know

Suicide crisis continues at iPod factory

Death count rises to 11 this year

by macleans.ca on Thursday, May 27, 2010 1:46pm - 6 Comments

The “spiraling suicide crisis” at Foxconn electronics plant in China’s Shenzhen province worsened last night as a worker tried to kill himself by slitting his wrists, the Times of London reports. The attempt came just hours after the death of a 23-year old worker that brought to 11 the number of suicides at the company this year. Psychologists and experts in suicide have begun to talk of a “mass hysteria” among the 350,000 mostly migrant workers at the factory in southern China, which makes digital equipment such as iPods, mobile phones and laptop PCs for big-name clients. Sony has begun “re-evaluating” the working environment at Foxconn, the paper reports, and is understood to have asked employees to sign a pledge that they would seek medical help if they were ever overcome by suicidal thoughts. The fatalities come amid mounting condemnation of working conditions at the Taiwanese-owned plant and the decision of several of the company’s biggest clients — Apple, Dell and Hewlett Packard — to investigate how their products are being manufactured.

Times Online

Martine from Toronto

It's sad how stress can take over someone so much to the point of wanting to die. Such a company really should have prevented this way earlier, giving workers enough breaks, not pressuring as many deadlines, and giving workshops for stress management, relaxation techniques, and education about how to get help when overstressed.

NewIpodSkins

Theres no profit in that. Workers are easily replaced. It's not my point of view but thats the way she goes.

Santina

'…asked employees to sign a pledge that they would seek medical help if they were ever overcome by suicidal thoughts. '

Because surely, someone living in substandard living conditions, who doesn't receive medical benefits is about to go find a shrink.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dakota-Evans/100002291707150 Dakota Evans

“According to the Sydney Morning Herald,
the study found that slave labor-type conditions are still in effect at
the factories. Workers are now forced to sign “no-suicide pacts,” and
they are routinely humiliated by “military-style managers.” They may
have to work as much as 100 hours of overtime per month, and are still
not paid a living wage–they earn only about $186 per month. And Foxconn
“routinely” fails to pay workers the correct amounts they have earned.
This is after Apple visited the factories and approved the wages and working conditions!”

http://skydancingblog.com/2011/05/22/how-badly-do-americans-need-ipads/

yikes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dakota-Evans/100002291707150 Dakota Evans

“According to the Sydney Morning Herald,
the study found that slave labor-type conditions are still in effect at
the factories. Workers are now forced to sign “no-suicide pacts,” and
they are routinely humiliated by “military-style managers.” They may
have to work as much as 100 hours of overtime per month, and are still
not paid a living wage–they earn only about $186 per month. And Foxconn
“routinely” fails to pay workers the correct amounts they have earned.
This is after Apple visited the factories and approved the wages and working conditions!”

http://skydancingblog.com/2011/05/22/how-badly-do-americans-need-ipads/

yikes.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dakota-Evans/100002291707150 Dakota Evans

“According to the Sydney Morning Herald,
the study found that slave labor-type conditions are still in effect at
the factories. Workers are now forced to sign “no-suicide pacts,” and
they are routinely humiliated by “military-style managers.” They may
have to work as much as 100 hours of overtime per month, and are still
not paid a living wage–they earn only about $186 per month. And Foxconn
“routinely” fails to pay workers the correct amounts they have earned.
This is after Apple visited the factories and approved the wages and working conditions!”

http://skydancingblog.com/2011/05/22/how-badly-do-americans-need-ipads/

yikes.