Chinese students exploited in the production of the PlayStation 4

A factory of Foxconn Group, manufacturer of the first iPhone and iPad, is accused of forcing trainees to get the new Sony console, to be released in France on November 29.

Being exploited or not graduate. This is the choice that was given to students in a school of Chinese engineer. According to the specialized site Quartz, more than 1,000 of them were illegally employed in a factory of Foxconn, the Taiwanese industrial group specializing in the manufacture of high-tech items. Young people have participated in the assembly of the PlayStation 4, the new gaming console from Sony comes out on November 29 in France.

A factory work against appropriations

Students come from the Institute of Technology in the city of Xi'an. According to the Chinese press , they were required to participate in an " internship program " within Foxconn , otherwise denied six credits required for graduation . Rather than perform tasks related to their field of study , students were assigned to the assembly plant in Yantai , where they worked beyond the statutory maximum time and even at night.To these abuses , Foxconn has admitted its mistake and ordered an investigation. " Steps have been taken to ensure that the plant in question is in accordance with our rules ," said the group , "especially those that prohibit the unpaid labor that night and for trainees , and remind them can stop the program at any time . " The company also stated that its internship programs should be " an opportunity to gain experience in manual labor to help them find a job after college ."In response to this controversy , Sony said that Foxconn was "consistent " with its code of conduct to protect the rights of workers.Asked by the Financial Times , the CEO of Foxconn lamented the growing problem of lack of labor in China. " The younger generation does not want to work in a factory , they want jobs in service or on the Internet, something simple ," said he said in an interview published Monday. " Many workers are relocating in the area of ​​services, and the demand for workers is now greater than the supply. "

A spate of suicides in 2010

This is not the first time Foxconn has been accused of violations of labor law in China. In 2010, it was Apple who was caught in the storm after a spate of suicides at Foxconn factories that produce iPhone and iPad. At issue: the dreadful working conditions and constant pressure that workers suffered .Large recruitment campaigns are usually held a few months before the release of highly anticipated high-tech products, such as the Playstation 4 or iPhone . Their production is lean , that is to say, the workers must produce a major units in a short time number. Pegatron , the Taiwanese manufacturer of the iPhone and 5c 5s , had himself responding to accusations of exploitation of minors in its factories. Apple at the time had promised an inquiry, saying it could " make a real difference in the lives of millions of people " by better monitoring the working conditions of its workers .