Mike Daisey travelled to China and interviewed workers at a factory in Shenzhen that produces Apple products, among other things:
"I say to her, "You seem kind of young. How old are you?" And she says, "I'm 13," and I say, "13- that's young."
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"...in my first two hours, my first day at the gate, I met workers who were 14 years old, 13 years old, 12. Do you really think Apple doesn't know? In a company obsessed with the details, with the aluminum being milled just so and the glass being fitted perfectly into the case- do you really think it's credible that they don't know? Or are they just doing what we're all doing- do they just see what they want to see?"
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"The official workday in China is 8 hours long. That's a joke. I never met anyone who had even heard of an 8 hour shift. Everyone I talked to worked 12 hour shifts- standard- and often much longer than that. 14 hours a day. 15 hours a day...sometimes it pegs up to 16 hours a day and it just sits there for weeks and months at a time, month after month after month, straight 16's. Sometimes longer than that. While I am in [China], a worker at Foxconn dies after working a 34 hour shift. I wish I could say that's exceptional."
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The complete monologue (which actually has some humor in it and is entertaining) is here.
I've spent enough time around the political blogosphere to anticipate a number of reactions to Mr. Daisey's piece. Here are a few, just off the top of my head:
If you are a Libertarian:
Typical hit job on Apple. People just can't stand it when a man succeeds.
Hey, if those kids want to work, let 'em. We're giving them a chance at an independent income they wouldn't have, otherwise.
If you're a Republican:
Capital has been driven out of our country by greedy unions. At least these kids have a work ethic.
Apple is kindly providing these youngsters with real work experience in a safe, controlled environment. Good for them!
If you're a Democrat:
Too bad Steve Jobs is already dead; we could hang him. Maybe we can still hang him in effigy. Wait- there's an App for that!
I bet they don't even offer organic vegetables in the cafeteria! And no yoga breaks! Horrors!
If you're an Anarchist:
Burn down all the nearest big buildings! Nobody should have to work assembling iPhones and iPads- and we should all get iPhones and iPads for free!!!!
Lastly, here's what I think:
If dropping out of school to work 12-16 hours shifts is not acceptable for our children, why is it OK for Chinese kids?
My own grandfather dropped out of school at age 14 to work in a mine. Then this country enacted child labor laws. And now we have voluntarily exported his shortened childhood to our "trading partners," so businesses can evade those laws.
Explain to me- with a straight face and a clear conscience- what makes that right.
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