Chinese Factories

[plarkinjr]

I'm a noob, so it won't hurt my feelings if this thread is deleted on sight for poor taste (I'm usually the first to point out any elephants at parties).

We had the zombie thread, and Smilin talking about his visit to China, and recent posts scattered about mentioning China in various contexts.... There is little doubt that V4L's Chinese factories are producing good product. But I have to ask more:

What are the conditions of workers there? I hear stories of political prisoner labor force, or more subtle practices that amount to near slavery. Do the workers get adequate breaks? compensation? Are they housed in "company" dorms and rarely allowed to visit friends and family outside the company complex?

I'm used to the eye-rolls when I ask about free-range chicken, humane veal, and grass-fed/pasture-finished beef at restaurants, so no feelings will be hurt when you roll your eyes at this post!

 

[keelalagirl55]

One answer.....this is not a "Chinese factory"...it is a V4L (American) factory that happens to be located in China....BIG difference. Most of the horror stories you hear are from government owned factories. Nuff said

 

[Morandir835]

+1 to what Ms. Keelalagirl said.

 

[genuinefraud]

After viewing the pictures in the other thread, it looks like they have an excellent work environment..

Has anyone here seen the movie, Mardi Gras: Made in China?
I think you might find this movie interesting..

IMDb - Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005)

 

[keyzygirl]

They had pictures here somewhere.Its pretty amazing.

 

[krazie_Kid]

Just like Keelagirl said, it is an American factory in china, and the link is here

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...liquid-manufacturing-sanitary-conditions.html

As you can see, everything is pretty damn sanatiry and they wear suits, gloves hoods, masks everything. I hope that helps.

 

[Morandir835]

Only problem Krazir sir is those pics are from the old facility. That thread is no longer relevant.....

 

[Darrigaaz]

What are the conditions of workers there? I hear stories of political prisoner labor force, or more subtle practices that amount to near slavery. Do the workers get adequate breaks? compensation? Are they housed in "company" dorms and rarely allowed to visit friends and family outside the company complex?

One of the main reasons that products out of China are so much cheaper to buy is because of the decreased labor costs. This only happens if you pay your workers less per day, make them produce more per day, or a combination of both.

If you are asking if they get the same "benefits" as a worker here in the US, I seriously doubt it. It all depends on what you consider "adequate breaks" or "compensation". There are companies here in the US that now allow for naptime and facebook time and their staff would have a riot if those benefits were suspended temporarily.

 

[Running Wolf]

Funny, all I have thought about with the factories in China has been the quality concerns, not the human ones.

You do make a good point. And it's good to see that not every factory is the sweat shop most of us tend to imagine

 

[incantius]

Only problem Krazir sir is those pics are from the old facility. That thread is no longer relevant.....

but I'm guessing the new facility is much nicer

 

[Morandir835]

Believe you are correct Incantius sir.

 

[plarkinjr]

Darrigaaz, you are entirely correct that its "relative". I would not expect a cheaper labor force to have the same "benefits" as a more affluent US one. However, as long as workers' lives there are IMPROVED (by some definition most reasonable people could agree upon) then I'm OK with it. It is a good thing to "export" more ethical business practices of "the west" to other places that have not observed them. But if workers are trading the slavery of poverty for a different form of slavery, are they really better off? Sorry for getting all "existential" on y'all!

 

[Timedog]

I sure wish I could buy AMERICAN MADE. It might help the unemployment problem.

 

[keelalagirl55]

I sure wish I could buy AMERICAN MADE. It might help the unemployment problem.

Nobacco Juice USA - from V4L, the best in vapor juice

 

[Morandir835]

Those are made in america Ms. Keelalagirl? Thought it was just an ironic title...

 

[EleanorR]

No eye-rolling from me, Tex. Good on ya for wondering.

If you are asking if they get the same "benefits" as a worker here in the US, I seriously doubt it. It all depends on what you consider "adequate breaks" or "compensation". There are companies here in the US that now allow for naptime and facebook time and their staff would have a riot if those benefits were suspended temporarily.

Please tell me you're joking, at least about the "FB time." (I know some air traffic controllers get nap breaks . . .)

 

[Chesterwiz]

Well I dont know what the "US factory in China" is doing but a company I worked for, as the OP said, had dorms onsite at the China factory. I do not think we will know about rest time etc until we get an answer from the source.

The company I worked for used to tell us "we could pay 3 people in China for the price we pay you". I was not making too much either. It was an Asian based company. I visited the Taiwan office and it had a USA feel. But China is a whole different story.

I am curious to hear the answers to the OP questions as well.

 

[lujin4]

Those are made in america Ms. Keelalagirl? Thought it was just an ironic title...

Says on the bottle "Made In The USA"

 

[KrisBKream]

If you are asking if they get the same "benefits" as a worker here in the US, I seriously doubt it. It all depends on what you consider "adequate breaks" or "compensation". There are companies here in the US that now allow for naptime and facebook time and their staff would have a riot if those benefits were suspended temporarily.

You think we have it good? Google "Swedish maternity leave" and click the first link. At least I think it's the first link. If not... sorry for sending you on a snipe hunt (Oh, and if it IS the first link, notice how it refers to "parents" not "mothers." This is officially the first time I've wanted to be Swedish )

 

[Morandir835]

Scandinavia is there anything they don't excel at Krisbkream sir?