Foxconn head compares company workers to animals

[nsane.forums]

Terry Gou, the chairman of Foxconn's parent company Hon Hai, reportedly compared the large number of human workers at the company to animals at a recent year end meeting.

In a possible case of, "Choose your words wisely," the head of the parent company of Foxconn reportedly compared the workers at the company to animals. According to a report at Want China Times, Terry Gou, the chairman of Foxconn's parent company Hon Hai, said at a recent year-end meeting, "Hon Hai has a workforce of over one million worldwide and as human beings are also animals, to manage one million animals gives me a headache."

As if to further the comparison, Gou also invited the director of the Taipei Zoo to give a lecture to the executives assembled at the year end meeting on how to manage animals.

This kind of bad publicity is just the latest for Hon Hai in general and for Foxconn in particular. It's been known for a long time that working conditions at the Foxconn plants, which manufacture parts and devices for a large number of Western electronic and tech companies, are very poor. To highlight this, the Foxconn worker situation became the subject of a Daily Show parody.

In 2010, a number of workers at a Foxconn plant in China committed suicide at the work place. Earlier this month, Foxconn and Microsoft said a worker dispute at a plant where Xbox 360 consoles were being made was resolved, after some workers at that plant reportedly threatened to commit suicide.

View: Original Article

[CODYQX4]

Degenerates, all of these companies that rely on this kind of work and treatment. The people doing the jobs are modern day slaves, and everyone else loses their jobs, all for a few million each quarter.

[beer]

After working 80 hours a week under inhumane conditions, and feeling like there is no hope to go on tomorrow, I find that there is nothing more refreshing than being called an animal by my boss.

[DKT27]

Foxconn responds to CEO's "animals" comment

A few days ago, reports hit the Internet that Terry Gou, the chairman of Foxconn's parent company Hon Hai, said at a recent year-end meeting, "Hon Hai has a workforce of over one million worldwide and as human beings are also animals, to manage one million animals gives me a headache."

The quote certainly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, especially since Foxconn has had to deal with some of its workers committing suicide at one of its plants in China back in 2010. Now TechCrunch reports it has received an official response from Foxconn about the statements allegedly made by Gou.

Foxconn's official statement is as follows:

There have been some media reports regarding a conversation that Foxconn Technology Group Chief Executive Officer, Terry Gou, had with the Director of the Taipei Zoo, Chin Shih-chien, at an employee event organized by Foxconn on January 15 in Taipei to benefit a range of charitable organizations through a contribution of USD1.4 million. In an effort to encourage his management team to learn from all aspects of life, Mr. Gou did say that, since all humans are members of the animal kingdom, it might be possible to learn from Mr. Chin’s experience as his team looks for lessons that can be applied to business. Mr. Gou’s comments were directed at all humans and not at any specific group.

While some reports on Mr. Gou’s comments in Mandarin were taken out of context and do not accurately reflect the full scope of that conversation, Mr. Gou does understand how these reports could be misinterpreted and seen as insensitive and he sincerely apologizes to anyone who might be offended by them. At no time did Mr. Gou seek to portray Foxconn employees in the negative context some media reports have suggested.

Foxconn has been under a lot of media attention lately, thanks in part to recent reports that some Foxconn workers at another plant in China had threatened to commit suicide as part of a dispute with management. Foxconn later said the worker dispute had been resolved.

:view: View: Original Article

Comment on Neowin:

The only animal here is that guy.

:lol:

[beer]

Thanks for the update DK27.

First, I think either he is completely stupid in trying to make the world see his workforce as he does, or he is just being plain blindsided at what is happening in his business. Second, animals are NOT the same as humans. Humans have a right to justice, liberty, freedom of speech, etc., and animals don't. He is already under a lot of fire for questionable human right violations at his plants, it is a mystery why he thinks he can pull off this type of "brainwashing" technique.