( CNN ) -- It is unfortunate that Mike Daisey lied about Apple 's labor practices on `` This American Life '' by fabricating some harrowing details about the suffering of workers in China who make iPads and iPhones . But this revelation should not divert attention away from the very real , pressing issue of labor abuses in China . The public radio episode that aired Daisey 's falsified account helped set in motion a series of news reports and close scrutiny from the media , forcing Apple to acknowledge that conditions in its supplier factories can be improved and that workers should be treated better . Now , because of Daisey 's lies , some people might dismiss the problem of China 's labor abuses . They should not . Daisey should not have lied , even if he were doing it to serve a bigger purpose . Daisey 's bigger point -- that workers in China are mistreated -- is true . Analysis : Apple , China , Foxconn and the fabulist . Labor abuse in China is hardly confined to Apple 's supplier , Foxconn . It is widespread . In some ways , the working conditions in foreign-invested factories such as Foxconn is better than that of domestic factories . Compared with workers in large foreign-invested factories , workers in domestic factories often encounter delayed payment of wages , lack of safety measures and no health care . In an incident in 2003 , Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao helped a migrant worker reclaim her overdue wage from her employer . To date , unpaid and delayed wages remain one of the most serious problems for migrant workers . Outside of factories , workers such as miners or construction laborers fare even worse since they forgo written employment contracts and face substandard working conditions . In the event of injuries or wages withheld , they can not even file for legal protections . China has about 153 million migrant workers . According to a 2006 nationwide survey conducted by the government , 86 % of them work more than 8 hours every day and more than half of them can not receive their monthly wages on time . A study from an academic group last year shows that these conditions have not improved . Of course , Chinese workers have not suffered in silence . Wage disputes are on the rise . So has the number of distraught workers who threaten to jump from the top of factory buildings or skyscrapers that they have just built . The plight of Chinese workers is rooted in the skewed power relations between business and labor . In the 1980s and 1990s , local governments often colluded with businesses to keep down labor costs . In the past decade under President Hu Jintao , the government has sought to improve conditions for laborers . A labor contract law was enacted and overt discrimination against migrant workers was lifted . But they are not enough . Migrant workers with little experience or few connections are in a very weak position in large cities . They often take whatever job is available just so that they can survive . Businesses , on the other hand , incur little or no cost when they engage in unfair labor practice . Many existing laws are only good on paper , and businesses face no severe penalty for flouting them . In a country where the government often considers a partial recovery of overdue wages as a success , it 's an upward battle for workers . Despite a more tolerant attitude by the government toward labor protests in recent years , no channel exists to translate that into political energy for change . The Chinese government outlaws independent unions so that workers can not organize or strike collectively . Even if workers have the advantage of people power of their side , they are simply not on par with businesses in terms of political clout . In this context , the spotlight on China 's labor problem raised by Daisey and others is important . If multinational corporations follow high standards in their home countries , they should abide by similar rules abroad . And if more of them follow Apple 's example in allowing independent groups to inspect their suppliers ' labor practice , it will go a long way to helping Chinese workers . Improving conditions in factories such as those owned by Foxconn will affect China 's labor market as a whole and help workers gain bargaining power in dealing with domestic factories . We hope that with continued international attention on the plight of Chinese workers , the government eventually will enact meaningful reform that will guarantee workers basic labor rights . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Yang Su and Xin He .
Daisey lied on ` ` This American Life '' about Apple 's labor practices in China . Yang Su and Yang Su He : Xin should n't have lied , but his bigger point is true . They say labor abuse in China is a serious , widespread problem . Mike Daisey and He : If foreign-invested companies improve , it will help the Chinese labor market .