China's 300: Tonight We Assemble XBOX's in Hell!!

China's Fearless 300: Tonight We Assemble XBOX's in Hell!!

Wired did a prominent article about the Taiwan-owned Foxconn plant that builds IPhones that had to install anti-suicide nets and put in no-suicide clauses in worker contracts to keep the suicide rate down from the 14 who killed themselves in 2010. Turns out that's better than most Chinese factories. When 300 who worked at a park in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province that builds XBoxes all asked for a raise they were told they could either quit and get a severance payment, or keep their jobs at the old rate. Most took the package, but then were out their jobs and didn't get any pay.

Now a Boeing union would just call for a strike, but these guys decided to climbed onto the roof of a building and threatened to all jump off unless they got their money or jobs as promised. Not surprisingly production stopped while they were on the roof, which is about what a strike does. It took the mayor until 9PM of the next day to talk them down. Microsoft is investigating this story that appeared on a government protest website in China.

Microsoft is investigating an incident at a Chinese factory where 300 workers reportedly threatened to kill themselves in a dispute over pay.

The workers, who manufacture XBox consoles at a Foxconn-operated factory in Wuhan, China, took to the roof and threatened bosses with mass suicide,local media has claimed.

more: see http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/11/microsoft-investigating-mass-suicide-at-foxconn-plant_n_1198860.html?just_reloaded=1

also: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/asia/chinese-workers-threaten-suicide-at-foxconn-not-8216why-but-8216is-enough-being-done/681 When 300 men and women climb onto a rooftop and threaten to commit suicide in protest over denied compensation, it is impossible not to wonder how a company could lead its employees into such desperation.

But Foxconn did.

A little over a week ago, 300 employees at Foxconn’s Technology Park in Wuhan, China threatened their own lives because they were denied a vital pay increase. Foxconn told them they could either keep their jobs without it, or they could quit and be compensated.

Many chose to quit, but the company terminated the agreement, and none of the former workers received the promised compensation.

Production at the company was temporarily halted. It was not until 9 pm the next day that the town’s mayor was able to talk the 300 down from the roof.

... In total, it is thought 14 workers committed suicide in 2010.

Although previously the company’s suicide rate was well below the country’s average, it’s hard to downplay those numbers now.

Foxconn installed suicide nets at their factory last year, and workers in Chengdu are required to sign a “no suicide” pact in their contracts.

These articles don't look encouraging either:

• Is Apple’s suicide factory outsourcing to even cheaper Chinese peasants?
• Media gets its facts wrong: Working at Foxconn significantly cuts suicide risk
• Foxconn factory explosion in iPad 2 building, 2 killed and 16 injured
• Foxconn explosion: Apple iPad supply impact unclear, dangers of combustible dust
• Apple’s iPhone 5 likely to stress Foxconn

original china post
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120110000064&cid=1103

Indignant workers threaten suicide at Foxconn park in Wuhan

• Staff Reporter
 
• 2012-01-10
 
• 15:22 (GMT+8)

About 300 Foxconn employees threatened to kill themselves on Jan. 2 after being denied compensation they were promised by the company. (Internet Photo)

According to the Chinese anti-government website China Jasmine Revolution, about 300 employees at a Foxconn Technology Park in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, threatened to kill themselves by jumping from the top of a building in the park.

On Jan. 2, about 300 employees at a plant belonging to Taiwan-based Foxconn — the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer — asked their boss for a raise. They were told either quit their positions with compensation or keep their jobs and receive no additional payment. Most employees took the first option, but the company terminated the agreement, and none of them were given the money they were promised.

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