Reading through the Saturday paper and found a review of a doco about Nokia’s manufacturing operations in China, ‘Nokia: A Decent Factory’. (Review by Ian Cuthbertson).”And then it’s into the meat and potatoes of the doco, as we see, first hand, the depressing conditions the mostly female staff work under. They work factory lines so deafening that the audio on the tape becomes inaudible. They work six days a week. They work compulsory overtime. When not at work, they must live and sleep huddled eight to a room.

If they are five minutes late for their mostly 12-hour shifts, they loose a half-hour’s pay. If they break something or loose their identity cards, they are fined. They have no sayon the exorbitant deductions from their meagre pay for room and board.

No food is permitted in the dormitories. If they become pregnant, they may face the sack or a compulsory abortion.

If the machines break down and are off line for three hours, the women have three hours of their pay deducted. On and on go the privations and the law breaking by the factory. The minimum monthly wage in China in 2003 was 560 yuan, yet some of the women are paid only 200 yuan a month, less the compulsory 150 yuan deduction for room and board, leaving them 50 yuan: equivalent to about $9 (US$6.57 / GBP 3.78) in hand.”

It’s not the first time we have read, heard or watched something to this regard but we never cease to be alarmed, shocked and disgusted by it. Even worse are the Western companies that engage suppliers / factories that conduct themselves and treat their staff in this fashion.