It's a sad reality of society, but it doesn't have to be. I guess one of my biggest issues with modern day slavery is that the companies that exploit these poorer nations often paint a deceptive picture that everything is above board.
And whats worse is that these companies have the audacity to get behind social movements. Its predatory and just another scheme to improve their bottom line and lull their customers into believing that they are making an ethical choice by purchasing their products.
The raw reality is that everyone is getting exploited so we (the west) can enjoy using an iDevice while sitting on the toilet.
> I agree that it is disgusting that the public unknowing funds human suffering.
The public knows, they simply do not care enough to pay the extra $x. We have known about sweatshops since I was a kid in the 90s, and it is even possible to but clothing made in the US. Yet the vast, vast majority comes from east and South Asia.
> A percentage of phone sales always goes to factory workers in the form of wages...
Preposterous, factory workers are usually paid the same wage whether their production sells 1000 units or 1 million units. Their wage isn't based on how many phones are sold or even if phones are sold since the factory is usually paid upfront in production, not when the phones are actually sold.
Phone factory worker wages are completely unrelated to phone sales.
You comment illustrates a complete misunderstanding of the supply chain business.
Edit: No, workers get wages when they do their job regardless of phone sales. Fairphone gives factory workers a bonus from phone sales in addition to the usual wages.
Unless we're talking about money that is quite literally not from any phone sales (do you count accessories and tied-in services?) e.g. laptops only, then that statement is not strictly true. I've never seen such a differentiation except for on a balance sheet. Apple (as other companies often do) sell many products of which the revenue from those sales pay for the wages of their employees. I don't think financial accounting here plays into the morals of underpaying people.
Using "the money to pay these people doesn't come from this line on a balance sheet it comes from that line" is not a justification for the, while unfortunately legal, unethetical employment conditions of others.
> Apple (as other companies often do) sell many products of which the revenue from those sales pay for the wages of their employees.
I thought it was the responsibilities of company which contracted by apple to assemble iPhone like Foxconn to distribute the wages, so the wages are fixed and not fluctuates based on phone sales? Or does Apple give some bonus from phone sales directly to Foxconn workers?
> Using "the money to pay these people doesn't come from this line on a balance sheet it comes from that line" is not a justification for the, while unfortunately legal, unethetical employment conditions of others.
I do hope that Fairphone is being honest about, in addition to sourcing from ethical supply chain, also improving factory workers, as evidenced from workers testimonies here[0]
Well not always. For example not if you are a Uyghur muslim in china. Then you don't get anything while also getting sodomized with broom sticks. But hey you know, what shall we do, I guess lets just look the other way. Besides it's just cultural differences right?
Sadly not available in my country :( I wanted to buy it, or its German competitor I forgot name, but both are not allowed in Brazil. (I mean, you CAN risk it... but legally the government can ban you from the network if you try)
Yeah right? I'm salivating that even its screen could be detached by a simple pop out and no glue ever used to assemble the phone (maybe the modules are, I don't know).
My previous phone was Xiaomi Mi A1, it died and I couldn't turn it back on, and disassembling the phone is very hard. Then the phone gone somewhere else I don't know. Yet another e-waste. I don't have any smartphone right now.
That said, yes, the global south produces for west in slave like conditions and it's sad.