Apple Forced labor?

Re: [spiers] Apple Forced labor?

It would be naive to think these workers are making a
"bundle" of money, OR it would be ignoring an
inconvenient observation. Two months factory worker
wages will buy an Ipod. That puts the Chinese worker's
life in perspective. Did they choose to work at the
Ipod factory? Sure. The choice was stay in the
countryside in abject poverty and starve, or make
Ipods.

According to Human Rights Watch....
***"China’s national laws prohibit workers from
organizing independent unions, and do not explicitly
protect the right to strike. Only one organization,
the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), can
legally represent workers, and its local offices are
controlled by local authorities and Communist Party
committees.

Many workers also lack minimal health and safety
protections and adequate wages. Many are compelled to
work long hours. Some contract workers may not even be
paid by factories for the work they have done. "***

It's funny in a way; didn't Chairman Mao spring from a
Union? Didn't the Chinese communist party have its
origin in unions of the 1920s and 1930s?

For fair and free trade to exist, wouldn't China have
to have its labor and environmental standards on par
with all the countries it trades with? Shouldn't
China allow unions? China sends goods to Europe where
there are unions. Doesn't this give an unfair
advantage to China?

And another note... Innovation hinges on political
freedom. Political freedom, the right to critique
your government, inspires contrary opinion, and being
free to express contrary opinions on any subject,
leads to innovations. As long as the Chinese are
forced to conform (wether by government or culture),
the innovation will come from somewhere else. The
Chinese will be relegated to the third world along
with other countries that suppress their populous.
Isn't there a Chinese saying... "The tallest blade of
grass gets cut." ie better conform or else. This may
actually be an advantage for the US.

Anthony


--- John Spiers wrote:

> Folks,
>
> Most of these factory workers come in from the
> countryside to make a bundle of money and
> move back to start something else. There is a labor
> shortage for such people, so they are
> encoouraged to work as much as they want.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ev8l9
>
> When someone is saving up for something to buy back
> home, one works as much as possible
> to shorten the separation time as much as possible.
>
> So here we have USA busybodies keeping Chinese
> families apart longer than otherwise. I say
> leave Chinese problems to China, sufficient is the
> evil we have to deal with here at home.
>
> John

Bookmark this post --- Email this post