<img src='/images/misc/eye.jpg' style='float:right' vspace='8' hspace='8'> <b>Bosses at technology giant Apple have launched an investigation after a Mail on Sunday report exposed conditions for workers at the Chinese factory which makes its best-selling iPod Nano MP3 player.</b><br /><br />By CLAUDIA JOSEPH, The Mail on Sunday <br /> Last updated at 22:00pm on 26th August 2006<br /> <br /> The investigation by Apple into Foxconn, the subcontractor running the plant, says there
have been violations of its strict code of conduct.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <div class='newslinks'><img src='http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/style_images/1/cs_page.gif'> <b>Link: <a href='http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=402408&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=' target='_blank'><font color='red'>Daily Mail.co.uk Article</font></a><br /><img src='http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/style_images/1/cs_page.gif'> <b>Link: <a href='http://www.chinatechnews.com/index.php?action=show&type=news&id=4085' target='_blank'><font color='red'>Hyperbolic Apple iPod Factory Woes @ChinaTechNews</font></a><br />

I hate to say it, but where is the news here? This is commonplace throughout tech factories in China. There are labor laws in China against such treatment, but these laws are not enforced with any regularity. Often for the workers this is actually an improvement in lifestyle for them. For the most part they are glad to be working. Not that they like the conditions, because they don't - forced overtime (often unpaid), low wages, cramped living quarters (that they often get charged unfair amounts of money for), poor food, dangerous or hazardous working conditions. Kind of looks like the USA 100 years ago!

I like the arguments from the second link.

For them 25 Pounds a month isn't that poor... And just because they have security guards whats the big deal... Look at microsoft, try to get in there without seeing at least one security officer. So they live in dormitories, they don't need to pay for it so this is just making it better for them. They get a low but ok pay, a roof over there head and food. Where would they be if they didn't have that job?

But I must admit that the argument saying that an mp3 player over there is about 35$US and here it's 110$US is good. Everyone is so greedy and wants as much money as they can get...