Workers skeptical suicides will end
- Source: Global Times
- [08:21 May 24 2010]
- Comments
By Ji Beibei
Foxconn's hiring of several high-paid counselors to help employees cope with their problems is not likely to discourage people from attempting suicide, several employees at the Shenzhen subsidiary told the Global Times Sunday.
The company, which has been plagued with a series of suicides, said it intends to hire 50 new human resources workers trained to help workers with their concerns.
They also said they will hire a psychologist and two professional counselors.
In the past five months, 10 employees have attempted suicide and eight succeeded while two of them were saved.
One employee surnamed Zhou, who works at Foxconn in Shenzhen, was skeptical as to whether the new counselors and leisure activities would bring an end to suicides.
Nan Gang, who jumped to his death on Friday from the roof of his dormitory building, reportedly acted unusual during the days before his death and was taken by the management to the employee care center for psychological help.
Shenzhen police concluded that Nan had a gambling debt and was blackmailed before his death.
A report by the Xinhua News Agency said Nan Huan, who is from Hubei Province and the same hometown as Nan Gang, said Nan Gang was depressed the night before his death and said his mobile phone was stolen and he had no money.
"Hiring psychological experts would not help a lot if there is no humanized management," Zhou from Hunan Province said. "After working long hours every day, I prefer to have a good rest and have no energy participating in activities like karaoke."
"There is lack of understanding and communication between superiors and workers," said another worker surnamed Ren, who has been with the company for three years.
A person who answered a new telephone hotline set up to handle calls from workers told the Global Times Sunday that they have received more calls during the past weeks.
"Most want to figure out in which aspect of the platform could help them," the operator surnamed Li said.
The person added some workers complained about their superiors.
Other problems at the company surfaced in recent days.
At least 10 workers live in one bedroom provided by the company and they seldom communicate as most are strangers to each other and are usually too exhausted to chat after a long day's work, Hong Kong-based Ming Pao Daily reported Sunday.
"Newcomers often find it hard to survive the working atmosphere here where superiors only care about productivity and performance," Ren said. "A worker will lose around 500 yuan ($73) in year-end prize money for each demerit recorded as a result of mistakes or arguments with superiors."
The psychologist and counselors are likely to make 600,000 yuan ($87,883) a year, Beijing Youth Daily reported Sunday, while some of the workers make a basic salary of 1,000 yuan ($146) a month.
The company has already trained about 100 counselors. It has also adopted other measures such as organizing social and entertainment activities to help workers.
Foxconn's subsidiary in Shenzhen is part of Taiwan-based giant Hon Hai, which produces electronic components like that for computers and mobile phones.
