Hi, my name is Tian Yu. I am seventeen and I used to work at Foxconn
in Longhua, Shenzhen. I began working
three years ago to support my family when my mother was diagnosed with
cancer. The monthly minimum wage when I
began was 1,000 Chinese Yuen, but I was only paid 900 (US 142.85) because I am a
minor (Rulliat, 2007). The pay was not exactly what we
needed, but it is what I could find. Soon after I began working at Foxconn, Apple,
Inc. came out with the iPad. I had
already been assembling the iPhone for about six months, and was getting pretty
fast at it, so I expected this to be somewhat simple. The demand for the product was so great that
my hours were increased by 5 hours per week, with little extra pay. (Rulliat, 2007) We got even less time for lunch and were cut
down to two bathroom breaks during any 6 hour period. This lasted for nearly two months, and by
this time, my mother was getting better.
It was no longer necessary for me to work, but I was
contractually bound into working with them for two full years. Every day, my boss would tell
me to “Work faster…More products!!” I could no longer take this pressure in
these horrible conditions! I knew about the suicides taking place and felt that was my
only way out of this horrible place. I
failed in my attempt, and am now paralyzed from the waist down, but I don’t
regret what I did because it got me out of Foxconn. Unfortunately, my little sister is
now going to have to work sooner than we thought she would because I cannot and my mother is sick again. I feel bad for what I did to my family, but
could not stand working there another day for that small amount of pay. I realize people use technology for almost
everything, but can’t I wish people didn't need it so much so my family and I don't have to work like this.
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