Labour Force

Question 1a & 1b

Introduction

According to the report “China’s Youth Meet Microsoft” prepared by the National Labor Committee in April 2010, KYE Systems Corporations was accused of being a sweatshop, while the software giant Microsoft distanced immediately itself from KYE and threatened to terminate production contracts. Like Foxconn-Apple case, KYE’s malpractice and Microsoft’s ignorance have together created a no-win situation among both of them, workers, surrounding communities and the environment.

The following paragraphs analyze the social and environmental issues of KYE-Microsoft case.

Infringement of human rights

Throughout the same report, examples of infringement of human rights are found everywhere, for example, the military like management style, extremely long working hours with unpaid overtime, un-enforced codes of conduct, monotonous and repeated works, child labor, sexual harassment, wage violation with rigid punishment system, controlled union and hopelessness for future, etc. KYE’s workers are not treated as humans but human machines, which posts high risk to them, both physically and mentally. Repeated works without sufficient training and resting time drive injury rate up. Workers under long working hours cannot form meaningful social relationship, nor can they take care of families and get involved in the community they live in. Feeling of indignity, exhaustion and hopelessness may start to accumulate to an extreme situation of Foxconn suicides.

The infringement also poses risk to corporate, KYE and Microsoft. When workers feel exploited to a point beyond their tolerance, labor strike could be the last resort which paralyzes the factory’s production.

Conflicts between capital and workers

Conflicts between capital and workers across the world have never stopped since the Industrial Revolution. Power asymmetries between Microsoft and KYE and its workers are another example, with the exception that this time KYE...