Post on 11-Nov-2014
description
The Foxconn incidents: a wake up call for workers, communities and the
government
Prof. He Gaochao School of Government Sun Yat-Sen University
3 wake-up call events
• 87 female workers burned to death in 1993 (1993年深圳致丽玩具厂大火)
• 15 young workers suicide in 2010 • 2000 workers strike in Nanhai Honda in
2010 • 40,000 fingers lost annually in PRD • Endless mine incidents (2003 矿难:35% vs. 80%) • …
Two type of sweatshop
Traditional
Sweatshop
Modem Hi Tech
Sweatshop
Production
environment
Dirty, noisy,
dangers, and
physical demanding
Clean, quiet,
repetitive, and
mental demanding
Management
regime
Dictatorial
Dictatorial
Labor regime in questions
• 19th Century style of sweatshop – Horrible production environment and
dictatorial production regime • High tech labor camp
– Modern production environment, but dictatorial production regime
Three type of resistance
• Individual right defending • Suicide • Collective action
New labor regime in demand
• New discourse of “bottom line socialism” • Strong union • Strong legislations • Strong government monitoring • More political space