Hewlett Packard (HP) has issued labor guidance directives to its Chinese manufacturers in order to bring a halt to the use of low-paid student interns and other temporary workers in their factories. Chinese manufacturers often rely heavily on the use of student interns and temporary workers as a means to reduce production cost. HP says it has vowed against such violations of human rights and wants to protect the rights of its workers when they are hired.
These guidelines came after the acknowledgement of Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co), a major Chinese manufacturer on which both Apple and HP rely for some of their products. Foxconn admitted that it had hired interns as young as 14 years of age. Apple has also taken a number of steps to improve the employee rights standards in Foxconn due to overwhelming criticism from the world over. People are of the opinion that the laborers who make such “class defining” items should be given reasonable protection and privileges.
HP is optimistic that its directives will improve the working conditions for the employees in the Chinese manufacturing companies. The guidelines include hiring of mostly full-time workers. HP insists that the interns and temps when employed are not forced to remain on job against their will and are free to file grievances against the company. HP also ensured that the intern working hours would be even below the allowable legal limit.
No comments:
Post a Comment