Contract manufacturer Foxconn reported on Sunday that an investigation of a plant in China that makes Amazon products is underway. The investigation was initiated by a 94-page report by the New York-based organization China Labor Watch. The investigation has been going on for nine months and has reported multiple violations of Chinese laws. The report cited low wages, inadequate training, excessive work hours and an overreliance on temporary employees.
Foxconn Technology Group issued the following statements:
“We are carrying out a full investigation of the areas raised by that report, and if found to be true, immediate actions will be taken to bring the operations into compliance with our Code of Conduct”
“If infractions are identified, we work to immediately rectify them”
In addition to Amazon products, Foxconn produces Apple Inc. iPhones.
This is not the first time that the Foxconn Technology Group has been under heat. Back in 2010, several employees committed suicide at a Foxconn plant during work hours. Amazon didn’t hesitate to comment.
Amazon’s issued statement:
“We immediately requested a corrective action plan from Foxconn. We are committed to ensuring that these issues are resolved.”
The China Labor Watch, a non-government organization, reported 40% of plant employees were dispatch workers or temporary employees. This number far exceeds the 10% law put in place by the Chinese government. Their report also cited that these employees experienced harsh overreliance protocols. China Labor Watch Program Officer Elain Lu stated that “They were underpaid” and “that’s illegal”.
China Labor Watch also reported that dispatch workers earned 14.5 yuan ($2.26 USD) per hour average and that these employees worked over 100 hours of overtime per month throughout peak season. Chinese law only allows 36 hours per month.
Previously, Foxconn stated that it “works hard to comply with all relevant laws and regulations. If infractions are identified, we work to immediately rectify them”. Amazon and Foxconn have since received criticism from human rights activists.
Will Amazon be able to stop these working conditions and maintain the assemble rates of the Echo Dot smart speakers? Only time will tell.
Featured Image via Flickr/Canonicalized
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