Chinese trade union slams Taiwan tech giant Foxconn for ‘overworking’ staff
Echo of suicides controversy of 2010, as trade union official in Beijing criticises Foxconn and links long-term overtime to premature death
Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology, a supplier of Apple iPhones and iPads, has been criticised by China's official trade union for overworking its staff.
An official with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions criticised the company for making staff regularly exceed the mainland's legal limit of 40 hours per week, in remarks that echoed the worldwide condemnation the company faced in 2010, when a spate of suicides by factory staff prompted criticisms that it was overworking its employees.
But Foxconn said it followed a strict policy of ensuring that employees who worked overtime did so voluntarily and could receive the mandatory minimum of at least one rest day per week.
In Beijing on Monday, Guo Jun, director of the federation's Legal Work Department, condemned some private companies and small- to medium-sized businesses for making staff work more than 10 hours a day without giving them statutory holidays or paid leave.
He mentioned Foxconn - the world's largest producer of contract electronics - saying that employees who worked overtime on a long-term basis were susceptible to physiological problems that led to premature deaths, including from suicide.
"Many companies could learn from Foxconn - that from overworking staff, the company has gained greater profits and become a Fortune 500 member," Guo said, sarcastically.
Demand for Apple's new iPhones featuring larger displays has boomed since the American technology giant launched the models in September.