Foxconn sees thirteenth suicide; is hiring mature employees to avoid more jumps

[RPGWiZaRD]

A female employee of Foxconn Electronics' (Hon Hai Precision Industry's) Shenzhen plant fell to her death on August 4 despite the company having already taken many steps to try to prevent such tragedies from happening.

Foxconn pointed out that the company will assist the employee's family for funeral affairs and will cooperate with local police with their investigation.

Foxconn has already launched a series of measures including increased the height of its safety fence on the roof from 2m to 3m, built safety nets at each building's second and third floor levels, and created a network through its mental health centers and care groups to provide assistance to employees facing mental difficulties, to help avoid employees committing suicide.

Source

It's just sad to hear the issues still continues... but honestly the Foxconn factories with all those measures sounds more like a prison than a work place.

[Nintendork]

That's not going to change with better salaries. I heard that security guards and people that watch over worker's productivity can be very frightening.

[Caparroz]

Why hire older people? Is it more difficult to them to climb over a window or a roof top and them jump? Old people do kill themselves too...

Srsly, though, despite all this fuzz on the western media that won't change 'till some more drastic and efective measures are taken. A proper democratic gov. instead of dictators might help.

[Kingcarcas]

"More mature people" and higher fences outta do it......sure.....

[aka1nas]

"More mature people" and higher fences outta do it......sure.....

Why not? They can't climb as well with arthritis.

[lkiller123]

Foxconn has already launched a series of measures including increased the height of its safety fence on the roof from 2m to 3m, built safety nets at each building's second and third floor levels, and created a network through its mental health centers and care groups to provide assistance to employees facing mental difficulties, to help avoid employees committing suicide.

Why not just more salary for the workers?

I'm guessing the Foxconn plants give out especially harsh working conditions, you don't see other mass suicide cases in other plants. Thank you globalization... :Shakes:

[alucasa]

There could well be suicides in other plants, but they may be small enough to hide such facts. Foxconn is just too huge to hide such incidents.

[hecktic]

imagine if this happened here in the states.... foxconn would probably never be off the hook for these incidents

[SoulsCollective]

I'm not so sure mature = old.

Foxconn's Wuhan plant is requiring its applicants to have mature mental state

"mature mental state"? What even does that mean? Thought police?

[saaya]

Source

It's just sad to hear the issues still continues... but honestly the Foxconn factories with all those measures sounds more like a prison than a work place.

you mean it sounds EVEN MORE like a prison now than before
yeah...

still, thats china for ya...
other companies there treat employees much worse, but they dont jump cause they know nobody would give a damn and thir employee wouldnt pay their families a pretty nice "we are so sorry" cheque ...

[lkiller123]

imagine if this happened here in the states.... foxconn would probably never be off the hook for these incidents

The families might as well be suing the out of Foxconn. Lots of lawyers will do it pro bono.

[Sparky]

When you have mental health centers at your workplace, you know something's wrong.

[hecktic]

The families might as well be suing the out of Foxconn. Lots of lawyers will do it pro bono.

yep... they would have a field day with these repeated unfortunate incidents at Foxconn

[billdavis]

open your eyes, it's china
gosh

[biohead]

open your eyes, it's china
gosh

rats lacist

[570091D]

The families might as well be suing the out of Foxconn. Lots of lawyers will do it pro bono.

ummm, this is happening in china, so i don't think there will be any lawsuits.

[Kurz]

The families might as well be suing the out of Foxconn. Lots of lawyers will do it pro bono.

Not in a country where is no semblance of Individual Rights.

[saaya]

The families might as well be suing the out of Foxconn. Lots of lawyers will do it pro bono.

sue them for what?
they dont break any laws...

the real problem is the chinese gov, the COMMUNIST PEOPLES REPUBLIC allowing CAPITALIST CONGLOMERATES to EXPLORE THEIR PEOPLE

hard to top that on an irony chart isnt it?

[XSAlliN]

Not a rasisit comment, but if even asians can't take it which are known as the most hardworking people than those conditions or overwhelming for any human. Don't know if it's the exact same thing, but probably I've been in a similar condition... I'm a Romanian and was hired for a plasma/lcd/notebook factory at an assembly line or service department... The service department was pretty normal, but the LCD assembly line was overwhelming - as in 15 - 18 hours a day... From 6:00 to 0:00 or 2:00 am in some situations. All that for about 480$/month... compared to german employs which were paid with 1100$ + for 8 - 12 hours a day.

After 10 hours of assembly line you work like a robot - mechanically, after 15 hours you struggle to keep your eyes open (we used to get red bull or coffee as a stimulator which was good for an extra hour but than was worst), after 17 hours you lose some control of your body - as in you can't coordinate your moves correctly and sometimes accidents happen. Joking a lot made the work bearable - still, Germany isn't China, we were allowed to be funny robots as long as we did our work.

But this depends on the job you're doing, in my youth days I've also been a bartender - working 14 - 16 hours a day but next day I was off, or other times i worked for 2 days and 2 days free... But that's an entirely different job... in day time was more relaxing and only the last 6 - 8 hours were really demanding, which was good - made time fly faster...

[lkiller123]

sue them for what?
they dont break any laws...

Come on, it's America. Anything can happen, you don't have to break laws to be sued.

My relative didn't even got hit by a car, just a scratch. He went to the lawyer and the lawyer sent him to the chiropractor.
Few months later, 10k into the pocket.
The same thing can apply to Foxconn, they will sue anything just to get the money.

After all, this will ever happen in America. They got labor laws and minimum wages - something that China lacks.

[biohead]

Come on, it's America. Anything can happen, you don't have to break laws to be sued.

My relative didn't even got hit by a car, just a scratch. He went to the lawyer and the lawyer sent him to the chiropractor.
Few months later, 10k into the pocket.
The same thing can apply to Foxconn, they will sue anything just to get the money.

After all, this will ever happen in America. They got labor laws and minimum wages - something that China lacks.

i don't follow

[Chumbucket843]

Come on, it's America. Anything can happen, you don't have to break laws to be sued.

it's called tort law. a tort can be as innocent as playing loud music or up to murder. this is why you can get tried in civil court and criminal court. they have no precedence so you can lose one and win the other like OJ simpson.

i dont really want to get involved in this mess but foxconn should really try and clean up their image. i guess older people are statistically less likely to be suicidal.

[MpG]

Maybe I missed it in one earlier threads on this, but is there any particular reason that Foxconn doesn't just hire a few more people and reduce the number of hours each person works? I mean, if a person is worked to the point of suicide, you'd think they MIGHT be willing to consider working fewer hours each week. The same number of hours would be worked, just spread out over a few more people? I know there would be some extra incurred costs from that, but probably nothing compared to what a company in say, North America would face (i.e. EI, benefits, etc).

[Gamekiller]

I think improving the working conditions (salary, benefits) would defeat the purpose of Foxconn having a factory in china.
I believe they're already better than the other factories.

[docwhom]

I think improving the working conditions (salary, benefits) would defeat the purpose of Foxconn having a factory in china.

I live here in Western Australia, and I have to work night-shifts from 6.00PM to 6.00AM for two weeks straight. Then have 4 days off.

Not everyone can work those shifts, hence huge turnover rate. Plus on occasion some do accidently, lope their hands off. Mind you it's generally around two to three in the morning when accidents occur. We do have an Overseer, who keeps an eye on us and how much we produce during our shifts. Fortunately the bastard is quite sick, not feeling so good.........hence we can work in peace.

I keep praying my hands, stay intact.......

I get paid $1200AUS per fortnight. But it's the only job in town close to where I live.

Because of the GFC even here in Australia, all companies are starting to increase working hours and knock down wages. Hence there are now more accidents occurring. I don't know, where are the boffins to collect data to start co-relating this type of work injuries????

ALSO, if you are stupid to complain to the management, about having problems at work, you will ultimately be sacked. Hence that would be the cure to your work complaint. Every company loves to see someone having difficulties, because there may be an opening soon......for someone else, to fill your position.

But then again, I suspect it's much worse in Asia.