Foxconn Raises Chinese Worker Wages by as much as 25%

[Akshay Masand]

After facing criticism for its alliance with its manufacturing partner Foxconn, Apple recently announced that factory workers will be seeing a 16% - 25% increase in wages.

According to Reuters, the pay of a junior-level worker at the Shenzhen plant in China grew from 1,800 yuan per month, and it could continue to go beyond 2,200 yuan if the workers pass a technical examination. When comparing this to what the pay was three years ago (900 yuan), it is quite the a difference.

This announcement from Foxconn comes just a few days after the Fair Labor Association began inspecting its facilities as part of an independent audit requested by Apple. The FLA said after its initial visit that Foxconn’s iPad manufacturing plant is “first class,” with conditions far better than garment factories in China. It should be noted Foxconn last boosted employee wages in June 2010 following an increased number of suicides that occurred at the company’s massive factory in Shenzhen. The manufacturer said Friday that the basic salary of its junior workers is already ‘far higher than the minimum wage.” Furthermore, the company also said that they “will provide more training opportunities and learning time, and will continuously enhance technology, efficiency and salary, so as to set a good example for the Chinese manufacturing industry.”

Many continue to question the situation of these factories ever since both Apple and Foxconn have come under scrutiny since the stories posted from The New York Times, which highlighted labor issues in Apple’s supply Chain. The NYT suggested that Apple had known about issues in its supply factories and had chosen to not address them, but Apple CEO, Tim Cook, was quick to call the claims “patently false and offensive.”

We’ll find out on February 21st what Bill Weir was able to discover in his trip to the Shenzhen plant in China.

Source: Reuters

[rkswat]

so basically I hear "We really care and are going to raise their pay" which is code speak for "I want this issue to go away so I'll throw some money at it". To believe Apple or other corporations that use foxconn care is a joke. (All they care about is keeping the ****** conditions out of the public eye)

Hey, as long as I don't have to pay an extra $20 for my i product who cares right? Guess we all see what apple could be doing with that billion dollars they have in the bank.

[Jammole]

Geez.. So throwing money at a suicide increases because of working conditions makes things ok?

[Stryker1]

Hmmm, looks like the jobs are coming back to America at this rate. Pay is on the rise in China from all reports on the internet. Basically it will increase the prices of items eventually which translates to a higher cost for us, loss of revenue in the end and eventually trimming or altogether job losses over there. Oh well, good for us I guess, bad for the Chinese and Foxconn.

[RDsmith675]

Geez.. So throwing money at a suicide increases because of working conditions makes things ok?

the important thing is this issue is at least getting attention and the fact is that this is an issue of chinese Laws which arent gonna change overnight but at least its progress maybe for the wrong reason but progress

[Truckerbear]

Can anyone here live on 285 - 350 dollars a month because that is what 1800 - 2200 yuan a month is!!

Pitiful... pitiful.

Every time you touch that iPhone, iPod, iPad think of the Chinese worker that barely scraps by to make it.

Wanna real wake up call... go watch "The High Cost of Low Prices" on Hulu

Its no different for Apple then it is for any other company. Change how you live and buy made in America only and then this will change.

[discostar]

Nice to see Apple looking out for the little guy- but come on. There are workers in your home country of America who have no wages at all.
Find me a Fat Cat who cares.

[Pepsolman]

Here is some monies children. Try to to smile for the camera now. And don't be committing any more suicide. Ah. All better.

[leopodie]

Some thing that should also be noted,
These people live in Foxconn-cities
so that means that if they go to a shop, its also "owned" by foxconn
this means that foxcon can easely crank up wages by 25% and than also make food 25% procent more expensive.
I'm not sayign that's what happend here, but one should take notice of how large Foxconn is