Incident Tag: Excessive Work Hours

Work hours exceeding the limit of 48 hours/week. The ILO Hours of Work (Industry) Convention (No. 1) of 1919 introduced a maximum standard working time of 48 hours per week and eight hours per day as an international norm. In several exceptional cases, working time is allowed to exceed these limits, as long as daily working time remains not higher than ten hours, and weekly working time not higher than 56 hours. “The ILO conventions that address working hours have established a maximum of 48 hours per week plus 12 hours of overtime and this can only be applied on a sometime basis.” Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No. 1) Hours of Work (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1930 (No. 30) These two Conventions set the general standard at 48 regular hours of work per week, with a maximum of 8 hours per day. Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14) Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106) Set the general standard that workers shall enjoy a rest period of at least 24 consecutive hours every 7 days. Holidays with Pay Convention (Revised), 1970 (No. 132) Every person to whom the Convention applies shall enjoy at least three working weeks of annual paid holiday for one year of service. Part-Time Work Convention, 1994 (No. 175) Requires ratifying states to ensure that part-time workers receive the same protection, basic wage and social security, as well as employment conditions equivalent to those accorded to comparable full-time workers.

The Dark World of Disney (Zhenyang)

Labor issues at toy factory: 12 hour daily shifts during peak season (May – October), 6 days/week; too low wages; base wage is insufficient to cover workers living costs; 8.7 RMB/hour (1.3 USD/hour); workers work with toxic chemicals; in assembly room no protection equipment was offered other than a work hat; during peak season, applications for sick leave hardly get approved; the training officer required all workers to check the “I’m willing to work overtime” option without asking them.

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain (Kenseisha)

Labor concerns at factory (700 workers) producing aluminum cases for laptop computers: age discrimination upon hiring (16 – 35 years old); use of chlid labor (as low as 16); 12 hour daily shifts; during the off-season workers can get one day off per week; during peak production they only get one day off every two months; monthly overtime 85-150 hours; verbally abusive managers; use of equipment is not closely monitored; work-related injuries occur occasionally; base salary insufficient for workers to support themselves.

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain (BYD)

Labor concerns at factory (30,000 workers) manufacturing electronics: age discrimination upon hiring (16 – 35 years old); use of chlid labor (as low as 16); as many as 12 hour daily work shifts; and as many as 30 days/month; verbally abusive management; workers regularly exposed to chemicals, radiation, and other occupational hazards with inadequate protective equipment; deafening and extremely hot environment; at least four work-related injuries reported in the laser welding workshop such as cuts or hands crushed by machinery; pay for most workers is calculated according to lowest local monthly salary (1,320 RMB = $209).

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain (Catcher)

Labor concerns at factory (~14,000 workers) manufacturing components for laptops, digital cameras, and mobile devices: age discrimination upon hiring (16 – 30 years old); use of student labor (as low as 16); 12 hour daily shifts; during peak season (April to December), workers get at most two days a month and may not have a single day off for an entire month; verbally abusive management; the simple face masks that the factory provides do not effectively prevent workers from inhaling metal dust; a thick layer of metal particles was evident under workers’ nostrils; safety training to new workers nor do they inform workers of the inherent risks of their occupations; workers need to work overtime to make ends meet; average monthly salary  is approximately 2,900 RMB (≈$460).

 

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain (TOYO)

Labor concerns at factory (~1,000 workers) producing metal cases for laptops: age discrimination upon hiring (16 – 35 years old); use of student labor (as low as 16); 12-13.5 hour daily shifts; workers can only take off one day per month during peak season (monthly overtime may exceed 200 hours); verbally abusive management; workers complain over ‘overwhelming’ chemical odor; workers need to work overtime to make ends meet; average monthly pay is 3,000-3,500 RMB (≈$476-555).

 

Beyond Foxconn:Deplorable Working Conditions Characterize Apple’s Entire Supply Chain (Ri Teng)

Labor issues at (3) factory plants (~20,000 workers) specializing in producing cases for consumer electronic equipment: 11-12 hour daily shifts, 6 days/week on average; work 7 days/week during peak production (as many as 31 days/month); workers may not have a day off for months at a time; work may reach as many as 18 hours/day; verbally abusive management; dangerous working environment; very poor quality safety equipment, factory switches to better only during customer visit or audit; hundreds student workers aged as low as 16 year old; workers have to take overtime in order to make ends meet (base salary 1,280 RMB ≈$203).