iSlave: Next Big Apple Product Out of China After the iPad?

With the release of the iPad this past week, sales for Apple have soared. However, not everyone is happy about it. According to a few news outlets such as UK based Telegraph, well-known magazine Fast Company and others, there have been four suicide attempts, with three succeeding. These are not just any suicides, they are people who worked for Foxconn, the makers of the iPad and other Apple products. This is also not the first time Apple and Foxconn have been accused of bad working conditions and possible forced suicides, and the reports are just getting worse. Is this the product of China's bad working conditions or is it the product of Apple turning a bind eye for the sake of the profits, or both? Let us take a look at what has happened and how history seems to repeat itself within the wall of Apple's manufacturing plants and how they let it happen repeatedly.

Apple's Suicide History

In 2006, an investigation into Apple's "iPod City," located in Shenzhen, China, ensued. The investigation turned up forced overtime at less than optimal wages and more allegations of forced child labor. After steady, rock solid denial of these conditions, the very same people who denied them admitted to them a week later. Then in 2007, an investigation that Apple covered up the conditions at the Foxconn plant was revealed. On June 8, 2007, a worker was found hung in the bathroom, ruled a suicide. On September 1, 2007, another worker was found dead two hours after resigning, "cause unknown." Another worker was found dead on March 16 ,2008 in his apartment, ruled a suicide. On July 15, 2009, in what was probably the most publicized of all suicides concerning Apple and Foxconn, the 25 year old man who was in charge of the fourth generation iPhone prototypes killed himself by jumping off a roof after one of them was reported missing. Earlier the same day, according to the New York Times, that young man had complained of Foxconn's security teams badly beating and humiliating him as well.

Then the ones from this year started with January 23, 2010 in which a 19 year old was found dead of an apparent suicide. March 7, saw a woman jump from a roof, March 11 another worker threw themselves off the roof of their dorm, and on March 17, another worker "fell" off another roof. Yet another has attempted suicide on March 29. Workers have been put on a suicide watch. The question is, why all of a sudden are these people trying to leave in this manner? Is it their only way out of getting out of working at the company or is there something more hellish going on?

Hellish Conditions at Foxconn

These conditions have been reported over and over again and despite numerous investigations and reports conducted into the situation, Apple is still accused of doing nothing to help. After the death of the employee in 2009, a report was filed by the China Labor Watch group and workers also reported the conditions were not only hellish but dehumanizing as well. Then came the report of a reporter working for Reuters being roughed up by the security of Foxconn in February of this year, too. Apple's investigation into these claims over the years have turned up "nothing" or "something," depending on who from Apple is making the report. However, they did admit the conditions at "iPod City" however they did so a year too late and they did admit that Foxconn has been in violation of the Apple Code of Conduct, however they seem to have not done much of anything concerning that as well; except for issuing a "Progress Report" this past February 2010. The current conditions and reports of suicides coincide with the production and release of the iPad. Coincidence? Um... NO.

Highest Death Rates

Considering China has one of the highest "death" rates in the world, as compared to other countries wouldn't it make you wonder why? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are many more deaths of women than men, and a total of 13.9 deaths out of every 100,000 people (in 1999), which makes sense considering the current suicide reports. However, because of the stronghold China has over information leaving the country who knows if those statistics are real and even higher than that. With China's Communist control and Totalitarian like government ways, the rest of us are led to believe the information is real. The US and the rest of the world continue to look the other way while China does as it pleases, even though most know better.

The Future of Apple & Foxconn

The future of the company in China is looking up, however, as China appears to get away with anything. Allowing conditions such as the ones described to continue should theoretically cause outrage from the workers and countries like the US. It appears Foxconn and Apple will continue to operate the way they have for decades. Since ex-President Clinton gave China the status of "Most Favored Nation," China appears to have been given the ability to get away with anything they want, no matter the cost as long as they trade openly with the US and other united Nations countries. This is in spite of Clinton's admitting China had not curbed the "human rights issues" as he would have liked. He basically gave them a free pass to treat their workers as sub-humans in dehumanizing situations.

Granted, they do not have oil, so why would the US be interested? Just because China has Foxconn and Foxconn makes Apple products, does that really give them the right to treat their workers the way they do? Hiring women because they complain less and work for less money? Apple writing a letter to Foxconn "strongly suggesting" that Foxconn allow their workers to sit down? Allowing forced overtime and other code of ethics violations that, to date, Apple has addressed but not attempted to correct and openly admitted to this at various times in the past 10 years?

Other Foxconn Problems?

This is surely a symptom of the conditions of China's workforce at Foxconn, as well as many other manufacturers in China. This is also a good reason why officials are not allowed to tour the inside of the manufacturing plant to see what the conditions are like. While the security forces at the plants claim they are "protecting trade secrets," there are different reports and photos taken by various news outlets showing the situation for what it really is. Yet, it seems as if the world continues to do nothing.

This brings me to another problem, as these particular problems do not stop at Apple and Foxconn. They continue with Sony, HP, Nokia, Palm and others, as Foxconn is the manufacturer of some parts and products for those brands as well. As one report stated, if you stop buying from one company, you must stop buying from all of them. In addition, take HP's plant in Meitai, for example. "Ghastly" conditions were reported in this plant in February of 2009 and the report also describes how and why the workers are punished, and that was one of the only reports. Apparently, HP's ghastly conditions are OK with the world and there was no need to make the problem more known than it was. My guess is the only reason why this situation with Apple is publicized is because the iPod, iPhone and iPad are the most influential products of the last two decades, and because Apple knows it will get them more press and send their shares skyrocketing (which as of this writing, shares are up almost a full point). However, I wonder, with the working conditions at Foxconn as they are, who will come up with the product with the iSlave name first, Apple because of their "i" line of products, or will HP change the name of the iSlate to iSlave?

Apple: Supplier Progress Report 2010
Business Insider: Reuters reporter Assaulted While Investigating...
Business Insider: Photo: What it's Like to Work Inside China's...iPhones and iPads are Made
Digital East Asia: 3rd Death at Foxconn in 3 Months, Should Apple, Nokia Sony and Others Be concerned?
China Labor Watch: Foxconn Tragedy Underscores Labor Violations, Lack of Respect
Miller Center of Public Affairs UofV: William Jefferson Clinton Key events of Presidency
PC World: Reports of iPod Sweatshop Suppressed
Reuters: For Apple Suppliers Loose Lips can Sink Contracts
Engadget: Foxconn Denies Sweatshop Allegations
Engadget: "iPod City" admits labor Law Violations
BoingBoing: Ghastly Working Conditions in a Chinese HP Keyboard Factory
PR Watch: Mandarins and Moguls Unite for China's Most Favored Initiative
Fast Company: Is Pressure at iPad Maker Foxconn Behind Four Recent Suicide Tries?
The New York Times: iPod maker under Attack After a Suicide
Telegraph: Four Suicides in a Month at Foxconn, Makers of iPad