[NEWS] Foxconn claims employee who committed suicide had history misplacing pro

[ICEM/\N]

Foxconn claims employee who committed suicide had history of misplacing prototypes, does nothing for its case




VIA ENGADGET

This is one story that only gets more bizarre with each passing day. The 25-year-old Foxconn employee who committed suicide this month, apparently after one of the iPhone prototypes he was responsible for went missing, is now reported to have misplaced other prototypes previous to this instance. According to Foxconn (who spoke with the New York Times), his employer and the company charged with manufacturing all of Apple's handsets, Sun Danyong had had products go missing "several times," but that he had gotten them back. Foxconn itself is the subject of some mystery in all this, after a security officer connected to the company was suspended and turned over to the Chinese government -- apparently in connection with the case. Sun Danyong was reportedly interrogated and possibly beaten after the prototype went missing, though Foxconn and those connected with the company have denied this. Foxconn has confirmed thatSun Danyong's family was paid roughly $44,000 and given an Apple laptop as compensation for his death.

VIA NEW YORK TIMES...

SHENZHEN, China — When a closely guarded prototype of a new Apple iPhone went missing at a huge factory here two weeks ago, an internal investigation focused on a shy, 25-year-old employee named Sun Danyong.

Mr. Sun, a college graduate working in the logistics department, denied stealing the iPhone. But he later complained to friends that he had been beaten and humiliated by the factorys security team. On the night he was questioned, he sent an anguished text message to his girlfriend.

“Dear, Im sorry. Go back home tomorrow,” he wrote, according to a message she later posted online. “I ran into some problems. Dont tell my family. Dont contact me. Im begging you for the first time. Please do it! Im sorry.”

Soon after, in the early-morning hours of July 16, Mr. Sun apparently jumped to his death from the 12th floor of an apartment building in what his employer, Foxconn Technology, says was a suicide.

Apple and Foxconn, one of the worlds biggest manufacturers of consumer electronics and a major Apple supplier, issued statements last week expressing sorrow for the death. Foxconn said it suspended one security officer, pending a police investigation, and that the company was now considering counseling services for its employees.

The Apple statement said: “We are saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee, and we are awaiting results of the investigations into his death. We require that our suppliers treat all workers with dignity and respect.” The company would not comment further.

The local police bureau declined to answer questions about the case. But reports of the apparent suicide have set off a firestorm of criticism of Foxconns treatment of Mr. Sun, labor conditions at its factories and the pressures Apple places on suppliers to abide by the culture of secrecy that surrounds its development of new products.

The case also underscores the challenges that global companies face in trying to safeguard their designs and intellectual property in the hotly contested smartphone market, particularly here in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, an electronics manufacturing center known for piracy and counterfeiting.

Apples popular iPhone is already widely imitated and counterfeited in China. And there are regular rumors on Chinese Web sites about new Apple prototypes leaking out of Chinese factories.

“When you outsource to a third party, you lose some control,” says Dane Chamorro, general manager in China at Control Risks, a global consulting firm. “And if youre outsourcing to China, its going to be even more challenging. Theres going to be a bounty on every design.”

Labor rights groups say the workers death should compel Apple to improve conditions at its supplier factories in China and prevent worker abuse.

Foxconn, part of Taiwans Hon Hai group, has also been sharply criticized because of suspicions about unduly harsh treatment of the worker.

Foxconn, which produces electronics for some of the worlds best-known brands, like Sony and Hewlett-Packard, operates a cluster of sprawling factories in southern China. One of its Shenzhen campuses has nearly 300,000 workers.

But some labor rights activists say the company treats employees harshly, routinely violating labor laws.

In an e-mail message on Thursday, China Labor Watch, which monitors Chinese factories and is based in New York, blamed Mr. Suns death on “Foxconns inhumane and militant management system, which lacks fundamental respect for human rights.” The group said it published an in-depth study of Foxconn last year, detailing its abuses.

James Lee, general manager of China operations at Foxconn, defended the companys labor practices in a lengthy interview on Friday, and also said the company would strive to improve management of its facilities.

“Its very difficult for the company to defend itself against such charges,” Mr. Lee said of complaints from labor rights groups. “Youre welcome to look at how employees are treated here.”

A reporter toured two of the companys campuses in Shenzhen on Friday, including the one where Mr. Sun worked. The campuses were so large they contained retail stores, banks, post offices and high-rise dormitories with outdoor swimming pools.

The reporter was not allowed to see manufacturing lines because the company said it had to protect trade secrets.

[tlpalmer01]

thats kind of messed up.......

[ronaldsdv]

i I can't imagine the amount of punishment the guy went through to get him to tell them where the phone was ...

[eklipz3]

Damn that is screwed up its like... misplace ipod... get arse beat... do it again... you die... i have a feeling it was murder more than suicide.

[D/\SH]

Originally Posted by eklipz3

Damn that is screwed up its like... misplace ipod... get arse beat... do it again... you die... i have a feeling it was murder more than suicide.

i got the same drift especially by what he said to his girl..... he seemed as if he was ina rush and had to get the last words typed in and the message sent.

[ronaldsdv]

man that's all messed up poor guy ...

[GokuSS3]

Well if it comes out that he was Beaten when they Interrogated him over the ProtoType going missing and it had nothing to do with him. Then I would say that Apple is going to giving a lot more that 44,000 and a laptop. But that story is sad,

[VenumX]

Originally Posted by GokuSS3

Well if it comes out that he was Beaten when they Interrogated him over the ProtoType going missing and it had nothing to do with him. Then I would say that Apple is going to giving a lot more that 44,000 and a laptop. But that story is sad,

there is no way he committed suicide. hate this stuff, everything points to him being killed for leaking info or something

[D/\SH]

Originally Posted by VenumX

there is no way he committed suicide. hate this stuff, everything points to him being killed for leaking info or something

exactly and they said that this has happened in the past.... i almost wonder if the security guards were setting him up and took the devices themselves..... just because hes in charge of them doesnt mean someone like security wouldnt take a swipe since they have access to everything that they need to cover up the crime..... they know the value that the phone being early version of next relese would fetch on tnhe open market especially to someone like microsoft per instance

[MikeyD]

damn im never gonna work for these people cuz id try to get all you guys prototype phones

[D/\SH]

Originally Posted by MikeyD

damn im never gonna work for these people cuz id try to get all you guys prototype phones

hahahahahah i would do it but i could talk my way out of it or do some scandelous scheme to get away with it hahahaha

[eklipz3]

Originally Posted by D/\SH

hahahahahah i would do it but i could talk my way out of it or do some scandelous scheme to get away with it hahahaha

Lmao... next thing you know your gunna post a pic on show us yourselfs with a black eye and a lump on your head.

[D/\SH]

Originally Posted by eklipz3

Lmao... next thing you know your gunna post a pic on show us yourselfs with a black eye and a lump on your head.

hahahah nope i would be showing a pic of me with 2 brand new iphone 1034GS's

[tori18]

lmao u guys are hilarious.. sad story though