Consumer unconsciousness

Tech giant Apple has come under fire for allegedly appalling working conditions at a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen where the company's bestselling line of music players, phones and tablet computers are assembled. These pages may hail consumer action to protect their rights, but what can be said of the conscience of Beijing consumers?

Over the last decade, Apple has become one of the most successful companies in the world, largely due to its ability to master the art of global manufacturing. It has set an unrivaled pace of innovation, leaving its competitors in its wake and fans lining up at its stores in eager anticipation to get their hands on its latest gadgets.

However, this rise has come at a heavy human cost. Foxconn workers assembling iPhones, iPads and other devices toil in harsh conditions for minimal wages.

Fracas involving Foxconn

Apple's troubles started when several reports surfaced of Foxconn workers enduring marathon 36-hour shifts and having no labor rights. Business news magazine Caixin picked up the call in China, and laid out the problem for Chinese readers. This was another body blow to Foxconn, which saw a crisis emerge in 2010 following the suicides of 14 workers between January and November. Last year, there were another four suicide attempts resulting in three deaths at the factory decried as a "labor camp" in a joint report by 20 Chinese universities.

Apple's problems weren't confined to Shenzhen, either. In early 2010, 137 workers at an Apple supplier in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, were injured after they were ordered to use a poisonous chemical to clean iPhone touch screens. Last year, two explosions at iPad factories, including one in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, killed four people and injured 77. Perhaps most disturbingly, Apple had been alerted to hazardous conditions at the Chengdu plant before the blast.

This prompted Apple to react, conducting audits and scrutinizing the ethics behind the production of their products. However, the damage was done. The scandal had tainted the pure image of Apple upheld by its loyal fan base, with many questioning the continued relationship between Apple and Foxconn.

Ripe for consumer revolt

Indeed, Apple is not the only electronics company doing business at the troubling Foxconn factory. Torrid working conditions have been well documented at factories manufacturing products for Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lenovo, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, Toshiba and others, many of them in China.

While Foxconn has been the center of attention, working practices at many Chinese factories responsible for producing the majority of the world's electronics are no different. Perhaps prosperous Beijing consumers are beginning to feel their conscience tug at their heartstrings over the issue.

"I read the stories online and in the news about the conditions at some of the factories. The conditions are really awful," said Lang Fang, a customer service worker in Beijing. "This is why I bought an HTC phone instead of an iPhone. Apple's fans are absolutely crazy. It's not reasonable to buy their products when you know about the conditions their factory workers face."

HTC is seen as a rival to Apple, and is part of the Open Handset Alliance to promote the Android operating system on the market. The company, ironically enough like Foxconn, is based in Taiwan, but sources parts for its gadgets from all over the world.

"I think it really depends on the individual and whether they would choose to keep buying from a company with a bad ethical record. China has fallen into this habit now of producing for other countries, then re-importing products without looking at the bigger picture. I think it will take a lot of effort on behalf of companies and the government to change that," Lang added.

Calls for tough legislation

Consumer rights activist Wang Hai, who has made a living investigating scandals affecting consumers, took a surprisingly unsympathetic line on the ethical debate.

"I don't think ethics are the primary concern of Chinese consumers today, particularly regarding the issue of production," said Wang. "After all, they can't even ensure their own security, let alone another industry's."

Over the last decade, China has seen consumer numbers explode. The Chinese market is an increasingly attractive market for companies such as Apple due to the country's burgeoning middle-class who have increased spending power and are doing away with traditions such as saving money. This has made luxury departments around the world see the influx of Chinese travelers as a major reason for high sales figures.

"I think you'll find that more than 90 percent of people don't know or care about where a product comes from," said Li Ming, an electronics retailer in Beijing. "I really don't think so many people know about working conditions surrounding production of the products they buy. There really needs to be more of an effort in the media here to explain these things. If [consumers] thought that by not buying a product someone would have a better life, maybe they would consider it."

The bulk of the Chinese press has taken a relatively quiet stance on this new scrutiny, preferring to focus instead on Foxconn investments and the resolution of its workers' suicide spate. The clarion call has been taken up on microblogging service Weibo, albeit within certain demographics, with growing emphasis on legislation to protect workers' rights.

If suitably drafted, approved by lawmakers and then enforced, such legislation would help the plight of those on the bottom rung of the production line, according to those at the counters selling products.

"Most people don't care about the workers at factories, although I'm sure if they knew about the terrible conditions they would feel sorry for the employees. Maybe, they would stop buying products in protest," said Zheng Yeli, who works for a major electronics store. "I think there's still a general feeling that it's up to the government to take action to help these kinds of people."