IPod manufacturer Foxconn broke labour laws

June 27, 2006

Chinese iPod maker Foxconn, apparently named by the local Shenzhen government as a "role model," has admitted employees work about 80 extra hours each month, "which is against the law in China," says China CSR.

Britain's the Mail on Sunday said the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, aka Foxconn, paid workers at its Longhua plant, "mostly young women from rural areas of China," only £27 ($50) a month, "about half what another electronics maker pays its workers who assemble other iPods".

They laboured in, "15-hour shifts," were housed in dormitories, "from which outsiders" were banned, and regularly paid, "about half their wages for room and board charges," the Mail said.

Now, Foxconn's Li Zong says the company's, "complicated salary structure has caused misunderstanding among the media, and the company has paid the workers according to the minimum salary standards of the Shenzhen local government," states China CSR.

"Li also says Apple has sent a special team to investigate, but has found no problem with Foxconn".

Apple says it's, "committed to ensuring that working conditions in our supply chain are safe, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible".