Foxconn riot spurs pledge on overtime pay
The Chinese company says that it will make overtime payments as it promised, and that it doesn't expect the melee to impact iPhone 5 shipments.
Foxconn, which builds Apple products, shut down a Chinese facility earlier this week after rioting broke out among workers. The company in a statement today said it will "ensure its duties relating to employee welfare are implemented and it will make overtime payments as promised," according to a Digitimes report.
The company also said the riot shouldn't affect shipments for "the latest smartphone product" as the facility doesn't do any product assembly.
Foxconn was forced to close its Taiyuan factory early Monday after an hours-long riot involving roughly 2,000 employees. The fighting broke out at 11 p.m. local time Sunday, possibly sparked when a guard struck a working. The facility restarted operations yesterday, and Foxconn said there were no deaths related to the incident.
Foxconn's working conditions have faced increased scrutiny and criticism of late. Along with riots, the facilities have experienced suicide, explosions and reports of harsh working conditions. The issue has even spread back to Apple, which employs the company to build its iPhones and iPads. Last week's iPhone 5 launch attracted protestors who rallied against conditions at Chinese factories.
The company has largely declined to comment on what sparked the latest riot, downplaying the violence as an "incident" and a "personal dispute" despite the large number workers involved and the dozens of injuries that occurred as a result.
We reached out to Foxconn for comment and will update the story when we hear back.
