Saturday, March 31, 2012

Article 5

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/global/labor-shortage-complicates-changes-in-chinas-factories.html?ref=china&pagewanted=print
This article is titled: "Two Sides to Labor in China" by Keith Bradsher

This article talks about Foxconn's decision to shorten the workweeks and raise the pay for factory workers in China. Though this may seem like a good idea at first glance, this article details the issues surrounding it. There are actually not as many people willing to work in the grueling and dangerous factories as many have been led to believe. While shortening the weeks for those currently employed seems like the humane thing to do, there are many who are actually working in the factories who are against it. Shorter weeks mean less hours and, subsequently, less pay. The people working in the factories are young and many are living away from home so they can work in the factories. They don't want to do anything but work as they want to make what they need and to get back home as soon as possible. By reducing the hours that people can work, they are actually stopping people from working as much as they want and as they need and are creating shortages that China's workforce might not be able to cope with as the people who want to work in the Foxconn factories are already working there. What people aren't taking into account is that there are many people who actually want more for themselves than minimum wage.

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