The robots are taking over. At least at Foxconn. The manufacturer of most of Apple’s products is bringing in robots to replace workers and save on labor costs, TechWeb reports (via CNET).
10,000 have already arrived at one factory, with 20,000 more expected before the end of the year. At $25,000 apiece, they aren’t cheap, but that’s three times the average worker’s yearly salary. So it only needs to last for three years and it’s paid for itself.
Suicides had plagued the facility prior to this announcement, so I dread to think what impact the robots will have.
Prior to the announcement of the the robot initiative last year, at least 16 workers reportedly committed suicide since the beginning of 2010 at Foxconn’s factory in Shenzhen, China, a plant that employs hundreds of thousands of workers. Another three have attempted to suicide at the job site.
Most of the suicides have involved jumping from buildings. In response to the situation, the company promised to install “suicide nets” to discourage employees from jumping, as well as raise salaries by 25 percent.
Worker strikes and clashes are also fairly commonplace, and Foxconn has also been criticized for the poor working conditions.
You could remove all emotion argue that the employees are the problem, so bringing in robots is a good idea. Furthermore, human error is taken out of the equation. However you feel for anyone who works at Foxconn right now.
