Foxconn iPhone 5 Production Workers on Massive Strike
There's big trouble brewing at Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory in China. According to local reports, as of yesterday afternoon, between three thousand and four thousand workers went on strike at the plant, which produces iPhone 5 devices for Apple.
Foxconn is often the topic of unfair working conditions, and that's what this work stoppage is all about. Employees grinding away at the factory building iPhone 5 models for Apple are complaining that they're being told they have to work during holidays, and also that quality control has to improve dramatically, despite the lack of worker training.
"Quality control inspectors fell into to conflicts with workers and were beat up multiple times by workers," China Labor Watch reports. "Factory management turned a deaf ear to complaints about these conflicts and took no corrective measures. The result of both of these circumstances was a widespread work stoppage on the factory floor among workers and inspectors."
Most of the workers on strike were from the onsite quality control (OQC) line, which effectively halted iPhone 5 production all day long on Friday. Part of the issue is that Apple has turned up the heat on Foxconn over reports that iPhone 5 models are prone to scratches on the back cover and the outside frame, and that some iPhone 5 models were reaching customers already damaged. This in turn led to stricter quality control measures that apparently the workers were unable to meet, claiming the scratches are a design defect and not something they're able to rectify.
Foxconn is often the topic of unfair working conditions, and that's what this work stoppage is all about. Employees grinding away at the factory building iPhone 5 models for Apple are complaining that they're being told they have to work during holidays, and also that quality control has to improve dramatically, despite the lack of worker training.
"Quality control inspectors fell into to conflicts with workers and were beat up multiple times by workers," China Labor Watch reports. "Factory management turned a deaf ear to complaints about these conflicts and took no corrective measures. The result of both of these circumstances was a widespread work stoppage on the factory floor among workers and inspectors."
Most of the workers on strike were from the onsite quality control (OQC) line, which effectively halted iPhone 5 production all day long on Friday. Part of the issue is that Apple has turned up the heat on Foxconn over reports that iPhone 5 models are prone to scratches on the back cover and the outside frame, and that some iPhone 5 models were reaching customers already damaged. This in turn led to stricter quality control measures that apparently the workers were unable to meet, claiming the scratches are a design defect and not something they're able to rectify.
