In March 2009, the makeITfair project published a report entitled “Playing with Labour Rights: Music player and game console manufacturing in China”, in which four factories in Guangdong producing gadgets for the world’s leading electronics companies were examined. Problems found included high percentage of student interns and contract labour, discrimination against Hepatitis B carriers in the recruitment process, excessive working hours, low wages and negative eff ects on health. Workers were punished with bonus deductions, if they failed to follow many of the company regulations. Behind the success stories of some brand companies, such as Apple (iPhone) and Microsoft (Xbox 360), the reality is harsh for many electronics workers.
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