Foxconn central China plant sees protest

Foxconn saw a return to protests Friday after about 200 workers in the central China city of Wuhan threatened to jump off a roof in protest over working conditions. The details relayed to Reuters from the Information Centre for Human Rights framed the dispute as one over "workplace adjustments" for newcomers. One concern had been sub-par wages.

It had already been resolved after Foxconn's human resource and legal teams, as well as local police, got involved.

What's produced at the Wuhan plant isn't clear. Despite attempts by Reuters to link the story to Apple, most of Apple's production is in Shenzhen, in southern China, as well as in Chengdu, 712 miles away from Wuhan. While Apple's production is diversifying as it needs to scale, Foxconn is also responsible for producing devices for Dell, HP, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia, Sony, and others.

The last incidence of a threatened jump over labor conditions was at a plant producing Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Foxconn's latest crisis still underscores ongoing problems with fair conditions. Public scrutiny and pressure from Apple-requested audits has seen it more publicly committed to improving wages and reducing pressure for overtime, but workers have complained that they haven't seen some pre-audit promises of improved wages.

By Electronista Staff

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