Money or Soul?

Back from Zumba. Glad to shed off some CNY fats *Grin*

Was reading an interesting article…
How the US lost the iPhone job to China?

Excerpts…
"The first truckloads of cut glass arrived at Foxconn City in the dead of night, according to the former Apple executive. Managers woke thousands of workers, who crawled into their uniforms - white and black shirts for men, red for women - and quickly lined up to assemble the phones by hand.

Within three months, Apple had sold a million iPhones. Since then, Foxconn has assembled more than 200 million more."

"Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option. One former executive described how the company relied upon a Chinese factory to revamp iPhone manufacturing just weeks before the device was due on shelves. Apple had redesigned the iPhone's screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight.

A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company's dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into bevelled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing more than 10,000 iPhones a day."

Last year Apple earned US$400K in profit per employee and the Chinese worker each earn only US$17 per day.
 
Sources : http://www.straitstimes.com/World/Story/STIStory_760748.html, http://www.straitstimes.com/World/Story/STIStory_760747.html

Very interesting indeed, in fact, it send my mind pondering over cold hard truths. People are protesting for sharks "don't sell and don't eat shark fins". People are protesting for tigers, bears, cats and dogs….What about these Chinese workers? Imagine fixing thousands and thousands of iphones' glasses for 12 hours. In the words of a friend, "it is like dehumanising them" . Can one stop using iphones (by the way, no. 5 is on its way), ipads, ipods and all the 'i's? I have yet to own an iPhone, it is just too smart for my simple brain cells.

But on the other hand, for a Chinese worker earning US$17 per day that works out to about 2,500 RMB per month. This amount is very much higher than what an average blue-collar worker earns in big cities like Shanghai. Pulling out means denying these workers of a fat pay which may lead to a better life. A chicken and egg issue.

Whatever it is, I have now a new habit, looking at the 'Made In' …. tag and will continue to use my hand-press Nokia E-series. It may be worth a lot, a vintage item! *Wink*