News
I was a fool to believe in Samsung
15 July 2010
International labour groups continue to call for global actions and demand Samsung and the Korean Government to accept responsibility for occupational deaths and to provide safe and decent working conditions. In a strong speech made last year and now available in English translation, Jung Ae-jung, wife of Samsung-worker and leukemia victim Hwang Min-woong, expresses her frustration and anger with Samsung for being an irresponsible employer.
Chinese trade union ACFTU publishes report on problems of migrant workers in China
02 July 2010
A recently published report by the All-China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU) explores the differences between the new generation of migrant workers in China and their parents’ generation, in terms of their backgrounds, their work-life expectations, and their awareness of labour rights. The report by the ACFTU comes in the wake of the spate of worker suicides at the enormous complex operated by iPhone maker Foxconn in the southern city of Shenzhen. The suicides as well as recent strikes at foreign run carmakers have drawn attention to the intolerable stresses many young workers face in factory complexes. The ACFTU report does not mention the unrest but refers to worries about social instability.
US-owned Jabil factory in China is run like minimum security prison
02 July 2010
On 29 June, the National Labor Committee released a 30-page report documenting the illegal and harsh sweatshop conditions at the Jabil Circuit factory in Guangzhou, China. Reportedly, over 6,000 workers -many of them illegal temporary workers- produce hi-tech products for among others Cannon, Cisco, HP, IBM, Intel, Lucent, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, Siemens and Xerox - among whom a number of Board members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition. The new report includes worker interviews, photographs and company documents smuggled out of the factory.
Electronics companies participate in factory-based women’s health initiative in Mexico
01 July 2010
HERproject, Health Enables Return, is a factory-based women’s health initiative by BSR that aims to provide positive benefits for women and business. Following the 2-3 June 2010 partner meeting, BSR has now published the 'Guidance for Companies to Improve Women’s Health in Supply Chains'. One of the participating companies in HERproject is electronics brand company Hewlett Packard and its supplier Pegatron in Mexico, which have been working with the local non-governmental organisation Health and Community Development, Ciudad Juarez (SADEC).
Scrubbing Our Cell Phones of Conflict Minerals, article by Nicholas Kristof in the NYT
30 June 2010
A NYT column about the campaign to eliminate “blood minerals” from cell phones, lap-tops, digital cameras and other cool devices. 'My hope is that public pressure will shame the electronics companies into scrubbing their supply chains of blood minerals, providing a bit more pressure that creates some space for a broader peace drive in Congo. And if the price is a penny in the price of a cell phone — sure sounds worth it to me', writes Nicholas Kristof.
