Chinese Tech Manufacturer’s Labour Violations Add Fuel To The Stigma
Foxconn, a major contractual electronics manufacturer, had recently come under fire for repeated violations of labour laws in China. The high-profile company, which frequently collaborates with global tech-giants such as Apple and Dell, has constantly found itself under public scrutiny for its questionable employment practices. With the article in question, Foxconn was found violating labour laws concerning the treatment of student interns, making the individuals in question work both night shifts as well as overtime. Another alarming practice was the report that students at a nearby technology institute were refused the privilege to graduate if they did not participate in a internship program at Foxconn.
Parallels can be drawn from Foxconn’s inability to enforce Chinese labour laws to several instances in the preparation reading which specify that in ideal free markets “no individual can coerce any other, all cooperation is voluntary.” (Friedman, 178) Several times within the article a Foxconn representative insisted that student-intern participation according to their own company policy is strictly voluntary, and that the events that occurred were the result of management oversight. However, those issued statements seem questionable at best, and quickly prompt questions regarding whether corporations in China, such as Foxconn, are truly “stay(ing) within the rules of the game.” (Friedman, 178)
Foxconn has been under heavy scrutiny as of late, according to cnbc