The Apple Factory is one of the most successful, powerful companies today that creates and sells amazing technology products. However, managers force the Chinese employees to work under very strict, severe conditions. Workers earn $1.75 an hour, and work ten hour shifts daily. Some even work twenty-four hour shifts, hoping for more money to pay their taxes. These are called " sweatshop factories" because of all the people working in the factories on such tedious and tiring tasks. Workers say their working conditions are very pressured and they are often yelled at. In just one factory alone (Shenzhen, China) there have been eighteen suicides and over 150 suicide threats. The threat of suicide was getting so bad that factory owners put up suicide nets around the buildings. Workers must pay an average of $18 a month to share a small dorm room with 7-10 other employees. The working conditions are also unsafe- just last May an explosion from a malfunctioning machine killed a few workers, and injured dozens more. Another explosion killed four and injured 77. This doesn't include all the poisonous cleaning chemicals that harm workers daily. Although Apple claims that working conditions are safe and good environments to work in, millions of their workers are slaving and are thrown into inhumane circumstances to earn any money they can find.
By: Rob Cooper