John Stewart on the Daily show recently featured a segment on FOXCOMM and the news story about its ~8,000 factory workers threatening to commit mass suicide at their plant in China. Those FOXCOMM workers, who produce APPLE and Microsoft products, live in small dormitories each containing 8 people who reportedly do not know each others' names. One worker commented that their job was to "assemble a tiny part of a mobile phone 5,200 times a day, with shifts lasting as much as 35-hours straight, making 31 cents an hour. It was noted that workers who attempt to form a union could receive up to 12 years in prison. "In growing numbers these workers are killing themselves, or trying to," the report stated. Giant nets have been setup between the factory buildings in an attempt to prevent workers from jumping to their deaths.
So....what are the conditions in the factories being used by Mattel to produce these toys? How much money are the workers making? Do some or all of the floor workers live in dormitories or in their own homes? What medical/dental benefits do they make? What is the death rate of the workers at those factories? Perhaps Toyguru can ask Mattel to obtain answers to some or all of these questions.
All I'd say is good luck getting much transparency on this from Mattel.
And to be fair, as you mention yourself, these are multi-industrywide problems at a global economics scale, involving Tar Swampy stuff, national sovereignty issues, etc.
But all the same, I don't see how it particularly applies to MOTUC, unless MOTUCs are the only foreign manufactured goods one purchases.
It isn't our business or concern who they are, what their working conditions are, etc. As long as that 12 year old assembling my figure does it properly, then I am good. If not, he should not receive his ten cents a day for three months.
Serously though, it doesn't matter, they are working and hopefully doing their job. The politics of another country are not ours to question or be concerned with. We have our own economy and corrupt congress to deal with, we don't need other country's garbage as well.
Wait, it only costs $.31/hour to produce my MOTUC figure, we are being ripped off. I kid of course. I saw that video too, it is crazy to think of those conditions.
We're not going to get direct answers from Mattel on this, as with any company who produces goods overseas.
I do think that it makes for a good topic of conversation, but one better suited for the Tar Swamp.
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