Foxconn has been under the microscope due to excessive overtime and poor working conditions at its Chinese production facilities. A report in the New York Times suggests the company is making changes that’ll improve the workplace for its 1.4 million employees in China. These improvements include less overtime, pay increases and improved working conditions.
The report chronicles Pu Xiaolan, a migrant worker from Sichuan province who has benefitted from Foxconn’s worker-friendlier policies. She previously had a chair to helps her with her work inspecting iPad cases, but it didn’t have back support. She would end her shift so sore that she had difficulty sleeping. Pu says she now has a wooden chair with a high, sturdy back that eases the strain on her back. She has even heard of some employees getting chairs with cushions.
Apple’s influence on Foxconn and its increasingly prominent role in worker’s rights is also highlighted in the New York Times article. Human rights groups hope the Cupertino company will continue to focus on improving conditions for factory workers overseas. Many believe Apple has the public stature to initiate major changes in the way assembly workers are treated in the workplace. These improvements would not be limited to Foxconn, they could ripple throughout the entire electronics manufacturing industry.
You can read the full article about Apple, Foxconn and working conditions on the New York Times’ website.
Improvements at Foxconn’s China factory originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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