富士康改善工作环境将影响中国制造业

评论：工人是被迫自愿加班，因为不加班的话，其工资甚至不足以维持生存！假如工人在不加班的情况下，仍然能够达到目前的工资水平，相信多数工人是不愿加班的。请扪心自问，你自己是否能够坚持每天工作12-14小时、每月休息1天？
    国际劳工公约1935年即确立了每周40小时工作制。是否支持每周40小时工作制，考验我们每个人的良知！

WSJ2012年 04月 02日 09:23
富士康改善工作环境将影响中国制造业

如果针对苹果公司(Apple Inc.)一家主要供应商的关键调查给中国工厂工人树立新的标准，那么在中国已经面临劳动力成本正在上升、工人要求正在提高的制造企业可能会承受更多压力。

苹果及其最大供应商之一鸿海精密工业股份有限公司(Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.，亦称富士康)接受了美国公平劳工协会(Fair Labor Association，简称FLA)在调查了鸿海在中国内地的工厂之后提出的建议，同意减少工时并调整其他用工政策。

Bloomberg News
苹果和鸿海精密同意改善中国工厂的工作条件。图为鸿海精密在深圳工厂的员工，照片摄于2010年。

鸿海说，它对调查报告表示欢迎，并将同苹果一道贯彻实施FLA提出的需要改进的问题。鸿海还说，除了继续支持美国苹果公司的基本原则外，作为苹果公司协力厂商，都应该遵守中国的法律法规及FLA的工作准则。

FLA提出的建议之一，是在2013年7月之前将工作时间降至每周最长40小时，并将加班时间限制为每周最长36小时──这是中国法律规定的上限。FLA报告说，要实施这些措施，鸿海需要招聘并培训更多工人，同时增加薪酬来弥补工时的减少。FLA是一家以改善劳动环境为宗旨的非营利组织，成员机构包括企业、高校和社会团体等。

此举可能会进一步鼓励整个制造业的其他公司进行改革，首当其冲的将是其他高科技公司。电脑生产商戴尔公司(Dell Inc.)一位发言人表示，公司很高兴看到鸿海在采取措施改善工作环境，但拒绝谈论此类改变将对成本产生何种影响。

改善工作环境的压力一部分来自劳动者本身。尽管10年前，很多人都迫切地希望在工厂谋得一份工作，但现在中国工厂普遍存在的工人短缺和跳槽的现象，反映出工人不再那么愿意接受低工资和长工时。

如果企业严格遵守有关加班限制的法律规定，不清楚工人将会如何反应。2008年起施行的《劳动合同法》是为了保护劳动者权益，但很多年轻劳动者之所以进工厂打工，就是因为他们想以最短时间挣最多的钱，具体办法包括加班，或者是走上更危险的岗位。

在全国范围内，2010年民营制造企业工资总额平均为20090元（按当前汇率约合3190美元），较2009年上涨16.4%。

Apple/Reuters
图片：苹果CEO库克的中国之行

中国多个省市的地方政府今年开始提高最低工资标准，其中天津市和上海市分别提高了13%，山东省提高了19%。如果是在过去，由于担心涨薪可能会吓跑投资者，地方官员是不会愿意让工资上涨引发关注的。

但如今，据君合律师事务所(Jun He Law Offices)驻上海劳动事务律师威杰夫(Jeffrey Wilson)说，压力来自各个方面，不仅来自海外组织。

比如，在地方层面，有关工作时间的规定并没有得以严格执行，地方有关部门常常可以容忍每周最高长达100小时的工作时间。中国工人则自愿延长工作时间，以便挣更多的钱。

威杰夫说，过去只要工人没有怨言，加班时给报酬，政府就愿意容忍这样的加班水平。如今，政府需要面对的是希望拥有更平衡生活方式的新一代员工。

大部分公司不愿讨论涨工资会对业务造成怎样的影响。台湾广达电脑股份有限公司(Quanta Computer Inc.)的一名发言人上周五说，该公司也在等待公平劳工协会的审计，公司将提供全面协助。她未予披露有关工作时间的情况。该公司在中国大陆设有数家工厂。

广达电脑为苹果、戴尔和惠普公司(Hewlett-Packard Co.)代工生产笔记本电脑。惠普和诺基亚公司(Nokia Corp.)的发言人均不予置评。惠普和诺基亚也使用代工商生产各自的产品。

胜华科技(Wintek Corp.)的发言人Ron Li说，该公司符合苹果规定的最长工作时间要求，苹果规定的时间比中国规定的最长工作时间要短。胜华科技生产触控屏。苹果的另外一个供应商和硕联合科技股份有限公司(Pegatron Corp.)首席财务长林秋炭不予置评。

经纪商Sanford C. Bernstein (Hong Kong) Ltd.分析师莫尔(Alberto Moel)说，公平劳工协会的报告明确地指出了问题并提出了解决方法。他说，鸿海可以从很多方面受益，比如获得更好的劳动力、更好的员工、更多地留住员工；这样将有助于提高各个公司的标准。

多名专家说，工厂所有者必须平衡涨薪与年轻工人不断变化的诉求之间的关系。中国政法大学社会学院法律心理学研究所所长马皑说，与为了生存而在工厂做工的父母不同，新一代工人需要的是个人的发展。

他说，尽管新一代工人的父辈愿意为了钱而长时间工作，年轻工人却不愿再吃这样的苦；他们已经把自己看成是老练的城里人。

LORETTA CHAO / JAMES T. AREDDY / ARIES POON

2012年 04月 02日 09:23
Apple Pact to Ripple Across China

Manufacturers grappling with rising labor costs and increasing worker demands in China could face further pressure if a critical probe of a major Apple Inc. supplier sets a new standard for China's factory workers.

Apple and one of its top suppliers Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. agreed to a set of recommendations by the Fair Labor Association following an audit of Hon Hai's Chinese factories to reduce work hours and change other employment policies.

Hon Hai said it welcomed the report and would work with Apple 'to carry out the remediation program . . . along with the FLA audit findings.' It added 'we will continue to support Apple's initiatives to ensure that its business partners are in compliance with all relevant China laws and regulations and the FLA's Workplace Code of Conduct.'

The recommendations included reducing work hours to a maximum of 40 hours a week and limiting overtime to a maximum of 36 hours a week -- the legal maximum in China -- by July 2013. Implementing the measures would require Hon Hai to hire and train more workers and increase compensation to make up for reduced hours according to the FLA report. FLA is a nonprofit involving companies universities and social groups to address labor conditions.

The move could further encourage changes throughout the rest of the manufacturing sector starting with other high-tech companies. A Dell Inc. spokesman said the computer maker is 'pleased that [Hon Hai] is taking steps improve working conditions' but declined to say how changes would affect costs.

Some of the pressure on working conditions comes from workers themselves. Widespread job vacancies and turnover in China's factory towns reflect less willingness to accept low wages and long hours even though such jobs were in high demand a decade ago.

It is unclear what workers will do if companies abide by the letter-of-the-law on overtime limits. The Contract Labor Law enacted in 2008 was designed to protect worker rights. But many young workers take factory jobs specifically because they want to make as much money as quickly as they can including overtime work or taking more dangerous positions.

Nationally average 2010 private sector manufacturing wages totaled 20090 yuan (or $3190 at current rates) up 16.4% from 2009.

Local Chinese governments this year have begun raising minimum wages including 13% increases in Tianjin and Shanghai and a 19% increase in Shandong. In past years local officials would have been reluctant to draw attention to rising wages out of fear it could drive away investors.

But now the pressure is 'coming from all sides. It isn't only from the overseas organizations' said Jeffrey Wilson a Shanghai-based lawyer in the labor practice at Jun He Law Offices.

For example work hours aren't strictly enforced at the local level and up to 100 hours a week is often tolerated by authorities. Chinese workers put in the time willingly in order to earn more money.

'They were willing to tolerate that level of overtime as long as there were no complaints by workers and they were being paid. What the government is now concerned with is a new generation of employees that wants a more balanced lifestyle' Mr. Wilson said.

Most companies wouldn't discuss the potential impact on their operations. A spokeswoman for Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc. which has Chinese factories said on Friday that it too is expecting an audit from FLA and 'we will cooperate fully.' She declined to disclose information about working hours.

Quanta produces laptops for Apple Dell and Hewlett-Packard Co. Spokesmen for H-P and Nokia Corp. which also use contract manufacturers to make their devices didn't comment.

Ron Li spokesman for Wintek Corp. a supplier of touch screens said the company is in compliance with Apple's maximum work hours which 'is below China's maximum.' Charles Lin chief financial officer of another Apple supplier Pegatron Corp. declined to comment.

FLA's report 'clearly lays out what the issues are and how to fix them' said Alberto Moel analyst at brokerage firm Sanford C. Bernstein (Hong Kong) Ltd. Hon Hai can 'use this in many ways -- to get better labor better employees for higher retention. It will drive the standards up for everyone in that way.'

Factory owners must balance that with young workers' changing aspirations experts say. Ma Ai director of the Institute of Legal Psychology at the China University of Political Science and Law said that unlike 'their parents worked in factories in order to survive the new generation's needs lie in personal development.'

While their parents were willing to work long hours for the money young workers 'are no longer willing to bear this hardship' he said. 'They see themselves as sophisticated urbanites.'

LORETTA CHAO / JAMES T. AREDDY / ARIES POON