• Samsung Under Fire For Allegedly Giving Employees 16-Hour Workdays, One Day Off Per Month
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[TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 600, align: center"] [TR] [TD][h2]NOT JUST APPLE: Samsung Under Fire For Allegedly Giving Employees 16-Hour Workdays, One Day Off[/h2] [IMG]http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4f72fcb3eab8ea2c5e000026-904-673/china-factory-shenzhen-foxconn.jpg?maxX=350[/IMG] [B]Apple partner Foxconn is usually the Chinese manufacturer under fire[/B][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: outer_border, width: 925, align: center"] [TR] [TD]SEOUL, Nov 27 ([URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/reuters"]Reuters[/URL]) - [URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/samsung"]Samsung[/URL] came under renewed criticism from a rights group on Tuesday for illegal work practices at its Chinese suppliers, a day after the South Korean electronics giant admitted excessive overtime and fines for employees in China.A number of foreign companies have been accused in recent years of improper labour practices in China, seen as a cheap source of labour for their production lines. New York-based China Labor Watch (CLW) said employees at one of Samsung's suppliers sometimes worked up to 16 hours a day, with only one day's rest a month. Samsung Electronics Co, the world's largest maker of cell phones and televisions, said on Monday a review of 105 of its Chinese suppliers - involving more than 65,000 employees - found illegal work practices, but said the companies involved would be given two more years to change their ways. The audit followed allegations by CLW in August that seven children younger than 16 were working in one of Samsung's suppliers in China. Samsung said the audit had found no evidence of child labour. It did, however, concede several instances of inadequate practices, such as overtime hours in excess of legal regulations and the imposition of a system of fines for tardiness or absence. "We have identified the need for initiatives to reduce employee overtime as a top priority, and we are researching and developing measures that will eliminate hours beyond legal limits by the end of 2014," the company said in a statement. [B][U]AUDIT RELIABILITY QUESTIONED[/U][/B] China Labor Watch said on Tuesday a follow-up investigation found that workers usually work from three to six times the legal overtime limit. "The worst situation is in a Samsung supplier factory called Chitwing Mould Industry (Dongguan) Co., Ltd, where workers' overtime hours surpass 220 hours per month. Workers here can work up to 15 or 16 hours per day with perhaps one day of rest per month," CLW said in a statement. "Samsung uses an audit system to monitor factories, but audits are renowned for their lack of reliability. Instead of audits, Samsung should establish direct channels of communication with its workers, such as worker committees or a worker hotline." Samsung said on Tuesday hotlines were being set up for workers at supplier firms to report anonymously any inhumane treatment or violations of labour laws. Samsung is reviewing 144 more suppliers in China and said the review would be completed by the end of this year. The firm also said that from 2013 audits of its 249 suppliers in China would be conducted by an independent third party. The move reflects a growing attention on work practices in China by foreign multinationals including [URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/apple"]Apple[/URL]. Apple Inc and its main contract manufacturer [URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/foxconn"]Foxconn[/URL] Technology Group, whose subsidiary [URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/hon-hai-precision"]Hon Hai Precision[/URL] Industry assembles Apple devices in China, earlier this year agreed to tackle violations of conditions among the 1.2 million workers assembling iPhones and iPads. That landmark decision could change the way Western companies do business in China. [URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-factory-working-conditions-2012-11?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Falleyinsider%2Fsilicon_alley_insider+(Silicon+Alley+Insider)"]Source[/URL][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
I can't even imagine working 16 hour days, must be fucking awful
I love my cheap technology.
[QUOTE=The very best;38621440]I can't even imagine working 16 hour days, must be fucking awful[/QUOTE] I worked a 16(actually it might have been 14) hour shift once(on a thursday, which are strangely busy all the time), it was horrible but the money was really worth it in the end.
[QUOTE=The very best;38621440]I can't even imagine working 16 hour days, must be fucking awful[/QUOTE] Fuck I hate working 8. On the plus side I think of these guys when I'm working and think I got it good. [editline]27th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Zet;38621573]I worked a 16(actually it might have been 14) hour shift once(on a thursday, which are strangely busy all the time), it was horrible but the money was really worth it in the end.[/QUOTE]Yeah it works out great for us but in China not so much.
Not surprised at all really especially since it's in China.
[QUOTE=The very best;38621440]I can't even imagine working 16 hour days, must be fucking awful[/QUOTE] Between university and two jobs, I'm already clocking at 14-15 hours of study/work. It's awful.
Samsung is just like Apple
[QUOTE=The very best;38621440]I can't even imagine working 16 hour days, must be fucking awful[/QUOTE] I already get tired after a few hours of school. This is crazy.
[QUOTE=barttool;38621637]Between university and two jobs, I'm already clocking at 14-15 hours of study/work. It's awful.[/QUOTE] For the start of the uni year I was doing 19 hours of work (I do mostly night fill, 8PM to midnight, at a grocery store, and an 8 hour Saturday shift during the day), and, combined with uni (a double degree nonetheless) it almost fucking killed me. Cut a single shift out so now I'm doing 15 hours, and even then it's pretty damn rough at times. Now that it's the summer holidays down here and I'm actually sleeping again, I can't even begin to remember how I survived with such little sleep. The other day I slept for about 6 hours (basically what I've slept every night for the past uni year) compared to the 9-12 I've recently been sleeping and I felt absolutely terrible that day. I wouldn't wish 16 hour working days on anybody.
Christ, and this is the lesser of two evils. It's too bad that people will stop wanting them to get their shit together when they realise their phones will be more expensive.
Doesn't the Gap and Nike do that same thing to teenage girls in Honduras and Mexico? Same shit, closer to home...
Isn't it Samsung who did the audit on their suppliers and brought this to light? Why does the article make it sound as if the big evil Samsung was exposed
[QUOTE=Amiga OS;38623220]Except they make ugly tablets & phones.[/QUOTE] I dunno man but the iPad looks better then the Nexus 10 [sub][sub]Just sayin'[/sub][/sub]
Apple to patent 16 hour work days.
[QUOTE=theevilldeadII;38621715]Samsung is just like Apple[/QUOTE] The difference is that Samsung admits it while Apple's response usually is "we are looking into it"
[QUOTE=hovergroovie;38623734]Apple to patent 16 hour work days.[/QUOTE] good joke mate!! [editline]28th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Killuah;38623808]The difference is that Samsung admits it while Apple's response usually is "we are looking into it"[/QUOTE] literally nobody should give a shit about this distinction when the end result is the same. neither of these companies are going to make any more than a token effort to improve conditions when it hurts their bottom line.
[QUOTE=Lazor;38623829]good joke mate!! [editline]28th November 2012[/editline] literally nobody should give a shit about this distinction when the end result is the same. neither of these companies are going to make any more than a token effort to improve conditions when it hurts their bottom line.[/QUOTE] The token effort here is your cynic fatalism.
[QUOTE=Killuah;38623867]The token effort here is your cynic fatalism.[/QUOTE] :rolleyes:
i did 6 solid weeks of 12 hour nightshifts once and that near enough killed me. fuck doing 16 hour shifts
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