Up Close And Personal With A Chinese "Investment Factory."
I have been to factories in China that look like they could be in Denmark. They appear safe and clean, and their workers appear to be wearing the latest safety equipment. I have also been to "factories" in China that are really nothing more than a small room with people assembling things. And I have been to factories in China where I want to leave as quickly as possible for fear of my own health and the situation is ten times worse for the workers.
I thought of China factories this morning because I looked at/read a fascinating post on the Alex Hofford Photography Blog (h/t Danwei), entitled, "China Factory Series #7 - Worker Safety In Chinese Factories." It has some great photos, but it really should have been titled, "China Factory Series #7, The Lack Of Worker Safety In Chinese Factories.
I am always surprised at how often it is that my firm's clients have never themselves seen the Chinese factories from which they secure their product. These companies pretty much figure that if the product they are buying is fine, there's no need to visit the factory that produces it. Is this shortsighted? What if your product shows up in photos like these? Anyway, if you are having product made in China or if you are just curious what a China factory can look like, I recommend you check this out.
Comments (8)
Read through and enter the discussion by using the form at the endCamille - February 20, 2010 11:02 AM
China is infamous for how they treat their workers (i.e. sweatshops). But this is also the very thing that has helped them have a competitive advantage in their exports, flexible labor markets, no labor unions and low wages.
The question that lies for these firms who outsource to Chinese factories is, if it is ethical to be partners with a factory who has no sense of basic human rights and needs, such as safety?
Tim - February 20, 2010 7:20 PM
Dan,
Nice post. Of more interest to me than the lack of safety equipment being used was the assertion that the employees were the ones insisting on not using safety equipment. I once spoke with a CSR labor compliance specialist regarding working hours in factories. He mentioned that many of the laborers wanted to work 12-13 hour shifts so that they could bring home more money. This isn't me leading up to shifting blame; rather, it would appear that part of the problem is educating employees on safety and labor law issues just as much as it is on the enforcement at the company level.
Shubha - February 21, 2010 2:05 PM
The pictures of the Chinese workers, and their stated indifference to their own safety, reminds me of a New York Times article on similar worker indifference in India. You can find the article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/nyregion/26manhole.html?hp
I think the question to ask is not whether the workers are complacent about the possibility of injuries but whether the workers would blame an employer if such an accident did happen. My experience in India suggests that the employers do tend to get blamed for such mishaps. I wonder if there is a similar tendency in China.
Anonymous - February 25, 2010 7:48 PM
Everyone who treats human rights of labors in China a great problem must be foreigners, who know little about the real situation.
Don't dream to break the current state in one day. Don't you know the labors who worked in so-called sweatshops already enjoyed their lives, for some extent? We are far behind, that's true. I saw a lot factories in Guangdong province, they don't have air conditioner, but, if it is equipped, how do these plants make money?
Don't you think it's interesting that the labors themselves never complained louder than westerners in this regard?
IB - July 25, 2010 7:17 AM
You make a really good point about the huge differences one finds among Chinese factories, which is why it is so important to have someone you trust visit before starting a relationship.
Dorothy - October 15, 2010 1:21 AM
I was searching for real estate investment blogs and ended up here. But after reading this article i am feeling bad for Chinese workers. I hope government China will treat them like humans.
SBL - May 19, 2011 1:53 AM
How much is worker safety improving at China's factories would you say?
Nastassia - May 28, 2011 12:14 AM
Amazing photos. Makes me think there should be a requirement that anyone in the West who buys product from China is legally required to visit the factory that makes it. I am being tongue in cheek here, but don't you think that would lead to an improvement in Chinese factory conditions faster than anything else?