“Oh yeah! I went there too!” says Mike Daisey, hastily.
Apple often gets blamed for exploiting workers in its manufacturing facilities in China but, as people who follow technology closely know, Apple isn’t the only company that make electronics. I know, right? And a watchdog group is out with a new report saying that things are pretty rough for Samsung workers in China.
According to China Labor Watch’s report, which is based on an investigator working undercover at HEG, child labor is prevalent in the factory and the children face the “same harsh conditions” as adults but are paid less. All 2,000 employees are allegedly obliged to work between 11 and 13 hours per day and are only given a 40-minute break to eat. On top of that the report lists the worker meals and dormitory conditions as “appalling.”
This is as bad or arguably worse than charges related to Apple and the Foxconn facility, lying monologists not withstanding. The child labor charges are something that didn’t often get pinned on Foxconn.
This will be interesting to watch since Samsung has really begun to emerge as the most serious challenger to Apple’s throne.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
