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.

Another Foxconn Employee Died of Fatigue

Factory employee (Yan Li) 27 years old dies suddenly at his home. His family and colleagues suspect he died from exhaustion; Li worked for almost 35 hours non-stop a couple of days before.

Suicides Spark Inquiries

13 suicides from the beginning of the year have been recorded at digital products factory (~820,000 workers); 10 deaths; 3 failed attempts. Many workers suffer from excessive stress and exhaustion, caused by military-style rigor, repetitive work and long hours over the legal minimum. Worker wages (900 RMB per month) is deemed insufficient to cover basic living expenses in their home city, and thus workers have no choice but to work massive amounts of overtime.

After Suicides, Scrutiny of China’s Grim Factories

19 year-old worker (Ma Xiangqian) at factory producing electronics leaped from high floor to his death. The month before his death he worked 286 hours (including 112 hours overtime, three times the legal limit), and got paid ~$1 per hour.

“We are extremely tired, with tremendous pressure” A Follow-up Investigation of Foxconn

Workers cry for 12 hour exhausting shifts, 6 days/week, standing up, assembling computers at very fast pace. “We are extremely tired, with tremendous pressure” says worker discussing recent factory suicides.

Did Dreams Come True? Workers still live in fear of occupational injury

Very poor conditions at factory producing paper goods; 13.5 hour daily work shifts during peak seasons; mandatory overtime on Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays; at least 81 hours work per week (at least 96 hours factory stay); wages as low as $0.66/hour; serious lack of workplace safety; occurring injuries.

KKR Reaps Profits from Sweatshop Labor:Illegal Conditions at Four Dollar General Supplier Factories (Sun Cheong)

12 hours/day work shifts (4 hours daily overtime); compulsory overtime; occupational safety concerns – in factory (700-800 workers) producing plastic products.

KKR Reaps Profits from Sweatshop Labor:Illegal Conditions at Four Dollar General Supplier Factories (Source Pro)

Exhausting workload in factory (over 900 workers) producing household equipment; 11.5-12.5 hour daily shifts (14-15 hour stay at factory overall); 6 days/week in slow season; 7 days/week in busy season; workers (assembling dpt) required to stand when working; safety concerns; frequent occurring injuries such as crushed fingers.