Foxconn factory workers in the major city of Shenzhen in southern China were recently forced to sign a pledge promising they will not commit suicide, a sign of terrible trouble and a cause of much concern in the U.S. because Foxconn builds Apple products. It has been alleged that the death of Foxconn factory workers rises as the demand for Apple products does. In total there have been 17 worker suicides and Foxconn has been forced to put up suicide nets to prevent workers from jumping to their deaths. Deciding who is to blame and how to prevent more tragedy is in the hands of the Apple Company and Foxconn.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says, “As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values. Unfortunately some people are questioning Apple’s values today, and I’d like to address this with you directly. We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain.” Cooks words are in response to blame placed on the Apple Company and the consumer’s need for the Apple products.

The legal over-time limit per month in China is 36 hours a month, but Foxconn employees may work as many as 98 hours per month, almost twice the legal limit; although, most workers choose to work the overtime due to the insufficient straight-time pay. In addition, workers are publically humiliated if they have made a small mistake or produce a substandard product. Also, some workers stand so long their legs swell until they can hardly walk.

This mistreatment of workers is not only in the Foxconn factories, but also in several other manufacturing businesses in China. Even if they are being mistreated, many workers say, in an article published in the New York Times, that being underpaid is a lot better than living on the streets and having no other way to support their family.  Foxconn factories are set up like college universities with dormitories, food courts, and many stores located on one “campus,” so workers live where they work. In Shenzhen there are 153 dormitories that are supposed to house half of Foxconns 420,000 workers.

Foxconn workers are paid a basic wage, between $1.50 and $2.20 an hour, but since the suicides workers have been promised a 25 % raise and a reduction in over-time hours.

Foxconn and Apple are in a riot trying to figure out how to accommodate workers’ needs and, hopefully, to solve the problems before American and other customers start rebeling against the two companies.