Apple In Hot Water for Hard Labor In China

We all have phones. A lot of us have smart phones and even more of us have Apple iPhones. We learn about how Apple engineers come up with new innovations and updates for these phones, but have we ever thought about who actually makes them?

Turns out, Apple’s manufacturing partner in China, Foxconn Technology, helps make it possible for us to use our iPhones everyday. While you would think that since these individuals are helping to make such vital parts to our daily lives that they would at least be treated in the right manner. However, that may not be the case.

Apple is now being ridiculed for their labor practices. It has been reported that vocational students were actually being forced to work at the Foxconn plant to work on the iPhone and other Apple products.

How would the media know about this information? It just so happens that a journalist from the Shanghai Evening Post worked undercover at a Foxconn factory for a total of 10 days. During those 10 days, the journalist stated that the Foxconn factories were cockroach infested and reeked of foulness. The journalist and other employees were also forced to do repetitive work, as well as put in maximum overtime.

Students also reported being forced by teachers to assemble iPhones at a Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. According to the students, their teachers said that if they didn’t work on making the iPhones then they would not be able to graduate. It is also being said that some schools actually closed down so that students could work at the Foxconn factories for up to 12 hours daily.

However, according to Faxconn, they said that while they do use student interns, the students work at the plants by choice and are welcome to leave their job at any time. They also stated that their labor practices are fair and comply with all Chinese laws.

What is interesting about Faxconn’s past statements is that this is not the first time that Faxconn has been attacked for their ways. A couple of years ago, there were several suicides at Faxconn Factories. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and a team were sent to China, as well as the Labor Fair Association to observe the conditions at Foxconn.

Apple should do more than just send their CEO and a team to handle their business.It would be smart for Apple to also give their employees better environments to work in, follow policies that are enforced by the government, and keep the public informed on the changes being made.

Inquirer Technology

Chapter 15: Persuasion for Individual Action

In the book Public Relations Writing: Principles in Practice, Chapter 15 discusses persuasion for individual action. Basically, persuasion is extremely important in the PR world. It is essentially the bottom-line test of direct mail, brochures, and proposals. Not only do you want to be persuasive to your target audience, but you also want your design to look good. Believe it or not, first impressions really do count.

After reading this chapter, I realized how important the overall look of your product is to your audience. According to Treadwell and Treadwell,

“Given the limited amount of space and time in which to deliver your message and persuade the reader to act, direct mail writing and design must work closely together.”

Visual impact of my design will impact my audience much more than just words. I should also remember to use headings, subheadings, bullet points–basically anything that makes my work look organized, well written, and easy to understand.

 

Synergy Media Group