By Star Chang, posted May 2, 2012 at 9:58 PM, 1,016 views,

Foxconn CEO said There is Nothing Wrong with Sweatshops (Video)

Foxconn CEO Terry Gou, who has often been accused of running “sweatshops” at the company’s factories in China said that there is nothing wrong with working his employees hard as long as the company is not breaking the law. “What’s wrong with sweatshops ? All farmers sweat before they harvest,” said Gou as he met a group of his Chinese employees who were chosen to a free trip to Taiwan at the company’s expense. As a reward to the hard working employees, each has received a free iPhone, cash bonus and some party dancing with the CEO …

[SOUNDBITE]: Are all of you having fun ? (YES !) Do you want to visit Taiwan again ? (YES !)

Foxconn had arranged a Taiwanese style buffet for the workers over at Hon Hai base, with tasty traditional BBQ pork …

[SOUNDBITE]: People are calling us the “sweatshops”, what’s wrong with sweatshops ? As long as we comply with the law, today you deserve what you earn through your hard work …

[SOUNDBITE]: Wash what ? (‘washing’ away the image of sweatshops), the reason for holding this event … I Terry Gou will definitely not for anything to hold a show for the press … We are Foxconn as we are, same for Hon Hai …

[SOUNDBITE]: Any cities with a population of 5 million, our factory will be located over there, it will have our sales outlets …

Foxconn will be planning to build hospital in Shenzhen, in order to contribute to the medical industry … Guo was giving farewell to the leaving Chinese worker …

“We sweat and bleed, as long as we comply with the law,” Terry Gou said, stressing that its employees deserve what they earn through their hard work. It was reported that the free trip and reward were to improve Foxconn’s image after recent negative publicity concerning workers strikes and conditions at its factories in China. To prove that the trip is not merely something to cover up the current situation, Gou said the company may hold one such event or more for its employees every year.

Gou also said that Foxconn will open more plants in more provinces to allow more employees to work closer to their homes. Cities with a population of 5 million or greater will be the targets for Foxconn to build factories, R&D centers and sales outlets in the future. Since China adopted one-child policy in 1978, the country’s population structure has changed tremendously, leaving only one person of working age to support four grandparents in the future. Gou said this problem could only be solved by technology and efficiency. In the meantime, the relocate of factories to inner provinces has came to an end, the factories in Shenzhen will transform into a technology park which focus on R&D.

Foxconn, the Taiwan-based company, is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics products and is the main producer of Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The direct comment from Terry Gou could affect Apple’s public image in some way. The explanation on sweatshops is not defined in this way. The CEO really needs to have some better public-relation skill while facing the press. So in near future, are we going to see more foxconn workers dancing and singing with their CEO ?

SOURCE: chinatimes.com (Chinese translated), EBC News