At the exit of the metro, the nearest of the giant factory of Foxconn, four recruitment agencies are competing for the visitors of” iPhone city “, the nickname of this new neighbourhood on the outskirts of Zhengzhou, was built by and for one of the biggest factories electronic world. “No maintenance, hurry up to register “, braillent speakers. Inside, a forty-something woman with the dark complexion invites to settle on folding chairs. “If you get us an intern for 45 days, that is 3, 000 yuan for you ! “, she said. “If you have more to bring us, if you know a school, we can discuss bonuses… “
This fall, the plants Zhengzhou look to full to provide copies of the iPhone X to the world. Foxconn, the main subcontractor of Apple in China, is located in the capital city of Henan in 2012 to take advantage of the abundant labour and good market of this province the centre of China, the most populous in the country.
But in addition to the workers, the interns, who stay for a few months and cost less in social security costs, are found to be perfect to meet the seasonal needs. More than 3 000 students are currently working on the assembly lines of Foxconn, under the same conditions as workers. The repetitive tasks that they do not have any connection with their studies. They perform overtime, in violation of the law.
“If we don’t, the school does not give us our diploma ”
The situation is well known. Since a series of suicides on the campus of Foxconn in Shenzhen (south east China), in 2010, Apple, its biggest customer, has strengthened controls on its supply chains. But at 17 hours, at the north exit of the huge factory of Foxconn, you’ll still see the many faces teens. A small group of young people of 16 years will forget the boredom of the day in a…
