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Watchdog slams conditions in China factory that makes Amazon Kindles
Foxconn says it is looking into allegations of rights violations in Hunan plant
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This article originally appeared on ABACUS
When Foxconn made headlines in 2010 following a spate of worker suicides at a Shenzhen factory that makes iPhones, it was probably the first time many people in the West had heard of the manufacturing contractor giant.
In the years after, rights groups and workers said conditions at the plant had improved. But a new report from a watchdog is now drawing attention to another Foxconn facility -- one located in a city far less well-known than Shenzhen.
China Labor Watch says their months-long investigation reveals harsh working conditions in a factory in the southern city of Hengyang in Hunan province. It mostly makes Amazon products, including Echo Dot and Kindle.
The factory is accused of relying heavily on so-called dispatch workers -- those who are employed through agencies rather than by Foxconn itself. While factories are required by Chinese laws to limit dispatch workers to 10% of the staff, the Foxconn plant had 40%.
Dispatch workers, who are paid 14.5 yuan (US$2.26) an hour, don’t get paid extra for overtime and aren’t entitled to paid sick leave. They also go through the same long hours as regular employees.
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