The first incident at Foxconn occurred on January 23rd, 2010 a nineteen year old male employee jumped off the building to his death. By the end of May 22, 2010 over ten lives were lost from the suicide incidents; two female workers were severely injured. What was the reason behind their jumps? What cause Foxconn, a company that was originally known for manufacturing electrical components in China, to become the first “suicide company”?
The workers who committed suicide at Foxconn weres all migrant workers from other parts of China. They work before the sun rises and rest long after sunset with the wage of only one hundred Canadian dollars per month. Under the company’s policies, nobody is allowed to talk during their work time. It is undeniable that the Foxconn workers were mistreated which cause tragedies repeating over and over again. The corporation treated workers like machines. They were physically and mentally tortured by the long working hours under hazardous environment and the isolation from humanity drove them insane. Dreams were shattered and the hope for a better life turns into despair. All the internal struggles and pressures from society finally caused many workers to put an end to their torture.
