Poisoned workers at Suzhou plant demand compensation from Apple

Angry workers suffering from chemical poisoning at a factory that supplies components for Apple iPads say they are taking their demands for compensation and medical care to the central government and Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.

More than 100 migrant workers from United Win Technology in Suzhou, Jiangsu, a unit of Taiwanese-based Wintek Corporation, suffered from muscular atrophy and nervous system damage in 2008 and 2009 after using hexyl hydride, also known as n-hexane, as a cleaning agent.

The workers are demanding a formal apology from Apple, lifetime medical treatment for the effects of the poisoning and fair compensation, saying their health is still affected and that some have permanent disabilities.

'Our representatives left for Beijing earlier this week and we will also write to Steve Jobs. He should be responsible for our suffering,' said Wan Qiuying, a 24-year-old worker at the Wintek plant.

On January 15 last year, hundreds of workers protested in front of Wintek's factory in Suzhou Industrial Park, the Yangtze River Delta's largest manufacturing hub.

The workers said they were not given safety instructions or warned of the dangers of using n-hexane, and worked in closed, windowless rooms for more than 10 hours a day. They were not given goggles or masks, only cotton gloves. They said their Taiwanese bosses had never been in the rooms where the chemical was used.

Many of the workers quit after receiving compensation packages of around 80,000 yuan (HK$95,000). They also had to sign agreements saying the company would not be held responsible if their health worsened in future, according to the Hong Kong-based Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour, which supported the workers.