A suicide survivor: the life of a C hinese worker

Abstract

In 2010, 18 employees working for F oxconn in C hina attempted suicide. These shocking events focused the world's attention on the manufacturing supply chains of C hina's export industry and the experience of working within them. What had driven these young, migrant, assembly line workers to commit such a desperate act? This article provides a first‐hand account of the experiences of one of those who survived a suicide attempt, 17‐year‐old T ian Y u. Her personal narrative is embedded within the broader context of labour process, work organisation and managerial practice at F oxconn, the T aiwanese‐owned multinational that provides products and components for A pple and others. The factory conditions are further shaped by the company trade union and Chinese government policies. The paper concludes with additional contextualisation indicating the emergence of an alliance of workers, students, scholars and transnational labour movement activists who are campaigning for Chinese workers' rights.

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