Riot Breaks out in Foxconn Factory
Foxconn factories have barely been out of the news over the past year. The company, which makes electronic equipment for companies such as Apple, has been under intense scrutiny for the working conditions in its factories.
The intense pressure caused by Apple product releases has resulted in what many regard as unacceptable pressures placed on workers in the factories, causing Apple to claim it is investing significantly to improve facilities in the plants that make its devices.
Whatever they did however doesn't appear to have worked. The New York Times are reporting that riots at a Foxconn factory in Taiyuan has caused the factory to be closed.
The same site suffered a strike back in March over wages, after employees were not given a pay rise that they had been promised. The news follows a similar riot at Foxconn's Chengdu plant back in June.
The Taiyuan factory focuses on magnesium alloy components for consumer electronics, heat conduction products, LED lighting products, mobile phone products and magnesium alloy automotive components.
Early reports suggest that the riot was sparked by a security guard hitting an employee. It follows a report published in August highlighting the harsh management as well as "practically compulsory" over-time work at the plant.
An official Foxconn statement will be released later on today.
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