Foxteq, Foxconn sister company, accused of worker exploitation

By on Nov 10, 2010 at 6:02 PM
News November 10, 2010

Foxconn finds itself in more hot water Wednesday as new reports emerge concerning working conditions at a factory operated by sister company Foxteq. Workers at the packing plant, located in Rydalmere, Australia, have come forward with allegations of exploitation and poor working conditions. Some went as far as to describe conditions at the plant as “depression-era,” with employees required to work long hours and no guarantee that they would be asked to return the next day. Foxteq performs packing services for HP, IBM and other large companies, and is currently being investigated by several of its clients as a result of the accusations. Sister company Foxconn, which manufactures electronics for giants like Apple and HP, fell under the microscope earlier this year when a string of employee suicides took place on the company’s campus. The suicides were blamed on poor working conditions and low wages.

Read

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , ,
28 Comments

Related Articles

  • http://jasonhillpdx.myopenid.com/ jasonhillpdx

    Maybe the depression was less tragic in Australia, because I’d hardly call “long hours and no guarantee that they would be asked to return the next day”, depression-like.

    This is only getting coverage because its a sister company to Foxconn.

    • Drew

      You’re an idiot. How would you like to go to work everyday and not know if you’re coming back the next day?? And in the case of Foxconn where they can’t even talk at work and have to practically live there. I guess that’s how they think up there in Portland, eh??

      • http://jasonhillpdx.myopenid.com/ jasonhillpdx

        Actually, I’m a contract worker and I’ve done just that for years. My point was its hardly depression-like.

      • -.-

        well it looks like jasonhillpdx has a wonderful life! clearly the other employees aren’t. I second the idiot comment, Drew.

      • Anonymous

        Its also hardly a dignified way to live. You want a happy worker whose productive treat him/her like a person not like an animal or worse yet a machine that can be eliminated at will. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and everyone no matter what their station in life has a right to a fair workplace environment.

      • Matches

        I’m also in the USA, and we have a thing called ‘At will employment’ thus an employer does not need to give a reason to fire an employee under the Labor Laws. So, any day I go to work could be my last, my employer can terminate me for any reason it wants and doesn’t need to disclose their reasoning. This is for all non-contract jobs, so anyone that is on a /hr pay scale is subject, notwithstanding people in unionize labor contracts. So maybe you should look into this AT WILL thing; as you are obviously unaware of your own countries labor laws…

      • Anonymous

        Such labor laws are an insult to human dignity. No employer should have the right to instantly just fire someone for no good reason. Those kind of laws only serve to create a gun to the head of the employee enviroment.

      • Anonymous

        @digitalfreak- At Will labor laws allow small business owners to be able to hire and fire at will with the intent of creating a suitable environment for small business. You want to put an end to big businesses mistreatment of employees, that’s noble. To create an environment where small business owners have to keep an employee on the payroll, even if that employee may not be a hard worker, or a productive employee, is to create an environment where ONLY big business can prosper. The US is so sue-happy that if it weren’t for AT WILL labor laws, every small business owner would be put out of business the minute some kid who couldnt stop texting at work, to the detriment of the business and the loss of customers, decided to have his yuppie parent’s sue the owner. No, At Will employment is a NECCESSARY law in order for any type of small business owner to find QUALITY and PRODUCTIVE employees.

  • Norm

    Typical crApple. DROID is made by union workers in the US that get great benefits. VZW and DROID wouldn’t take part in this kind of terrorism that crApple pulls. DROID DOES human rights.

    • Anonymous

      I suggest you do some research. Its not only Apple whose guilty of this garbage. Its Apple, Dell, HP, Toshiba Microsoft etc. The list could go on and on and its not just the tech companies its the garment, appliance, and even believe it or not the car industry. Before you praise Android you should ask the question where are the components used to make Droid manufactured? Chances are some of those components come from overseas Asia. Its a vicious cycle when you stop and think about it.

  • QNX Please

    There is an easy way for the Aussies to fix this situation. DON’T WORK THERE. If they can’t find employees they’ll change their management style, or close down. Companies like this may get away with it in China, but companies that try this crap in the Western World usually close down fast. Worker turnover is very expensive in the west.

    • Anonymous

      Agreed. Terri Gou may have finally gotten caught with his pants down. I hope Aussie labor crucifies the parasite.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000148052762 Erik Shirk

    Shut up already. Nothing you do will change how the system works. As much as id like every human being to be treated fairly, its unrealistic. As soon as they start putting pressure on these companies, they will change their name, move to another country and get new workers, leaving the old ones unemployed. end.

    • Anonymous

      I’m not out to change the world I only wish it would become more tolerable. Western and Asian mega corps are guilty of turning the third world into sweatshops. Even sadder its the consumers of the west who feed the proverbial beast. The Foxxconn workers get paid a poultry few cents from the billions of dollars of electronics that roll out of those factories. My question to you is the same question I asked the blogger buddymunster. Is it worth saving 50, 100 200 measly dollars by allowing people of poorer nations to be exploited? Better yet ask yourself how would you feel being one of those people working in those factories? I think the answer to those two questions is obvious or should be.

  • Anonymous

    That’s exactly what happens when you outsource American jobs. We should pack our own damn computers and electronics and stop contributing to “other” countries’ economies. Especially, if they’re going to turn around and complain like some jobless out-of-work contract lawyer in Manhattan!

    • Anonymous

      Sure we need the jobs here. But are you willing to pay extra for every electronic device you buy? Outsourcing is good. Let other people to do jobs that Americans won’t do or its too expensive to do. Econ 101 folks. Comparative Advantage.

      • Anonymous

        I suggest you ask yourself the following question: Is it worth saving 50, 100 200 measly dollars by allowing people of poorer nations to be exploited? As for Econ 101 my understanding has always been for a thriving economy to prosper the public has to be able to have money to spend money on various goods. If people are unemployed or are doing such low wage jobs they can only afford food the economy won’t grow. You’re only shooting your only family in the foot by thinking the exportation of jobs is a good thing.

    • Anonymous

      Very self centered comment. These people aren’t making money the CEO of the company and his henchmen are. Its called a global economic system that allows the rich to exploit the poor and its been going on since the beginning of time.

  • http://twitter.com/andrewtplummer Andrew Plummer

    psh what a joke. Aussie unions/labor govt would be all over this if they actually had poor working conditions.

    Anyway, we have 5% unemployment, theres s***loads of unskilled jobs. If you dont want a job, centrelink will give you $225 p/w (for a single with no kids, otherwise its much more). That number might not seem like much, but remember we have free health etc.

  • Tomm

    Wow, this isn’t surprising or anything…

  • Jerryj

    1. If you tell Americans to be upset, protest or boycott the products, it will not happen. Most Americans know, it will mean higher prices for those items.
    2. We American would never want someone from another country to tell us how to treat or pay our employees, so we need to stay out of their business.
    3. When those people work long hours not knowing if they will be asked back, that is no different than Americans who work from a Temp Agency or people who do day work, or house cleaning work.
    4. Some work and money is better than, no work and money.
    5. It’s nice to care about people, but we need to worry about what’s going on here in our country.
    Thank you

    • Anonymous

      I think you your wife and your kids should go work at that factory. Sounds like it a wonderful place for you.

      • Anonymous

        @ DigitalFreak

        Nice to get personal on a comment. Perhaps you can suggest a solution that would make everyone happy, instead of insulting others. Remember we have thousands if not millions of illegal immigrants working the fields in California and doing other low wages jobs. Americans do the exact same thing, but we just turn a blind eye to it because we can buy more affordable products and services that way. Provide a solution DigitalFreak instead of insulting people.

      • Anonymous

        The solution is you and your neighbors. These stupid companies are pulling up house and moving jobs because they can. Why is the govt allowing it? If a company is exporting jobs make them financially pay for it by putting tariffs on their goods when it enters the USA.. If an American company is found to be using sweatshop labor then DON’T ALLOW THEIR GOODS TO ENTER AMERICAN BORDERS. Unfortunately whether we like to admit it or not Governments are in the pockets of big business and that’s caused a total erosion of labor laws and the social network.

        P.S.
        I’m not insulting or getting personal I’m challenging you to stop and think. Your reaction to my comment says it all. You would never want your family subjected to the kind of mistreatment described above. My question to you is: Do you really want to watch others subjected to the same kind of mistreatment or worse? The answer to that should also be obvious.

      • Anonymous

        @ DigitalFreak

        Actually my parents did work in those conditions. They were good paying jobs at that time. They allowed them to save enough money to immigrate here to provide better opportunities for me and my siblings. Placing tariffs on them will not do anything but results in tariffs back at us. I don’t think your solution is feasible. Countries have pressured China in the WTO to improve working standards. Its a work in progress. Suggesting radical ideas such barring imports from such an economic heavy wieght will lead to global economic disaster. As these third/second world countries improve economically, the conditions will improve. It happened to America during the early 1900. Work conditions did not change overnight.

        If you are adamantly against these practices. Perhaps you should start a boycott on products made in those countries. I would applaud you on that and would be curious how long you would last.

  • Wknx

    add a import tax 35 % then maybe they might make them in usa usa usa

    • Rneva

      A bit too early for that my friend. America wants to corner China by surrounding her with states that favor Capitalism and then we will strike them with nuclear weapons and destroy them all like we did Japan. America is evil but not stupid, they are playing a sneaky hand unbeknown to the dump stupid American public!

  • Rneva

    All of you must love capitalism because not one of you leveled the gun at the culprit to these working conditions! Thanks to America capitalism has been one of our major imports to third world countries and we do it with the gun and kill anyone who does not want to go along with the program. It is called Imperialism and the result is the New World Order that is faltering just like America because of their selfish attitude towards production. It is all about greed. Do your homework before you mouth off on these articles. There are many facts that are kept from you by the American government. They do not want you to know how much they do not care for the slaves that work in their factories and all the other factories in the world. Profit is the bottom line and capitalism is the process that must be destroyed!

blog comments powered by Disqus