We discussed an article about Microsoft and other electronic companies using young and poorly paid, mostly female workers to make their computer mice. The image on the article, and many more on the flicker stream showed the workers sleeping at their factory benches. I think the article was really shocking to many of us in the class because a lot of us are from Chinese descent. Having lived in Canada most of our lives, however we’re not really aware of what goes on in the “homeland”. Although I can’t say I’m really surprised. China never gets huge props in the media for their treating of human rights, they are a communist country after all. And my parents and grandmother all tell me horror stories about working in factories when they were young before they left the mainland… So in 30+ years, China has not changed much.
Someone in class also pointed out that in the photo they looked like they were playing Heads Up 7 Up. Yeah, they do.