Photos: inside Foxconn\'s \"iPod City\"

A pair of photos published earlier this week by the UK's Mail on Sunday appear to portray substandard work environments within Chinese manufacturing facilities that build versions of Apple Computer's popular iPod digital music players.

One photo shows shows a dormitory within E3 — a Foxconn-owned manufacturing facility responsible for churning out iPod nanos — packed tightly with cots and lined with wash buckets, lockers and clothes lines.

Yet another photo appears to show employees lined on one of the factory's roof tops as they prepare to begin work for the day.

"Every morning the workers, in beige jackets to denote their junior status, are taken up to the factory roof for a military-style drill," the Mail reported in its article, titled "iPod City."

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai, is one of the world's largest IT companies. The Taiwanese company has been contracted by Apple to build products such as iPods, AirPort Express base stations and desktop computers.

According to the Mail, Foxconn employs a "million-strong" staff and is currently investing $57 million in factories in Beijing and Suzhou that will "take advantage of China's cheap workforce."

On Wednesday, Apple issued a statement in response to claims made by the Mail on Sunday, saying it plans to investigate the matter.

Dormitory at Foxconn's E3 factory | Image copyright Mail on Sunday.

Military-style drills on the roof top at Foxconn | Image copyright Mail on Sunday.

"Apple is committed to ensuring that working conditions in our supply chain are safe, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible," the company said.

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39 Comments

mchuman

said about 17 years ago

What evidence is there that these photos are legitimate? None is offered. The Mail is nothing more than a British tabloid press, and now AppleInsider is for publishing these photos as news.

sandau

said about 17 years ago

most Asian work groups participate in group exercise prior to a shift, this is common especially in China and Japan. We'd do as well to get our plump derriers off our office chairs for a few minutes every day rather than slurping down that 96oz pepsi for breakfast.

chevaliermalfet

said about 17 years ago

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's entirely possible they saw a morning Tai Chi or similar exercise group, recognized it as such, and deemed it appropriate to name it "military style drills."

macfandave

said about 17 years ago

Are these conditions or practices unusual for China?

It's not right to apply our Western sensibilities to say that the factory is normal or inhumane. I used to work for a company that had a plant in Belgium. They used to take pity on us because we had to work 40 hours or more per week and started with a measly 10 days of paid vacation per year. They had to make sure they didn't exceed 37.5 hours per week (it may have changed since then) and they started with at least four weeks vacation plus many more holidays.

I can't get too upset with Apple until I can see that they are unusual in their treatment of workers. This story sure didn't make that point.

ecking

said about 17 years ago

Is something wrong with me for seeing these photos and thinking: "Do these people ever have sex?"

I mean where would they do it? Unless they were going to have some sort of dorm-wide orgy.

But don't worry my second thought was about the conditions.