Book 2020

Dying for an iphone: Apple, foxconn and the lives of China's workers

Dying for an iPhone: Apple, Foxconn and the Lives of China's Workers
Journal · pp. 1-277
Abstract

Suicides, excessive overtime, hostility and violence on the factory floor in China. Drawing on vivid testimonies from rural migrant workers, student interns, managers and trade union staff, Dying for an iPhone is a devastating expose of two of the world's most powerful companies: Foxconn and Apple. As the leading manufacturer of iPhones, iPads and Kindles, and employing one million workers in China alone, Taiwanese-invested Foxconn's drive to dominate global electronics manufacturing has aligned perfectly with China's goal of becoming the world leader in technology. This book reveals the human cost of that ambition and what our demands for the newest and best technology mean for workers. Foxconn workers have repeatedly demonstrated their power to strike at key nodes of transnational production, challenge management and the Chinese state, and confront global tech behemoths. Dying for an iPhone allows us to assess the impact of global capitalism's deepening crisis on workers. © 2020 The Authors. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Not provided

Index Keywords

Workers' Power Trade unions World leaders Electronics manufacturing Factory floors Key nodes Migrant workers Production challenges Electronic equipment manufacture
Author Affiliations
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
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6 Disenfranchised the Rise and Fall of Industrial Citizenship in China, (2019)
7 Handbook on Class and Social Stratification in China, (2016)
8 Anner, Mark S., Workers’ power in global value chains: Fighting sweatshop practices at russell, nike and knights apparel, Transnational Trade Unionism: Building Union Power, pp. 23-41, (2013)
9 Achieving Workers Rights in the Global Economy, (2016)
10 Innovation in China Challenging the Global Science and Technology System, (2018)
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Document Identifiers
  • EID 2-s2.0-85131287608
  • Language English