Post date: Sep 25, 2012 11:7:6 AM
TAIYUAN, SHANXI PROVINCE, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 25, 2012) (REUTERS) - Chinese Foxconn workers on Tuesday (September 25) said the brawl at the factory that disrupted production at Apple's main China supplier for 24 hours was caused by work pressure and thuggish security.
Workers say violent security guards and work pressure led to a brawl involving over 2,000 workers, closing a Foxconn factory in northern China.
While unrest often flares in China as low-paid workers agitate for better pay and conditions, the conflict at Foxconn's Taiyuan facility in northern China on Monday (September 24) was notable for its scale and severity, even if not directly related to shop-floor conditions.
It marked a blow to Apple's top supplier as it ramps up production to meet orders for the iPhone 5 and seeks to rehabilitate its image after a labour audit this year found flaws.
The company does not say which of its plants supply Apple but an employee told Reuters that the Taiyuan plant was among those that assembled and made parts for the iPhone 5. Some workers said they were making the iPhone 4s.
Details of the melee remain sketchy as police and company officials investigate, but tension between workers and security guards boiled over on Sunday (September 23) evening after a worker was severely beaten.
That led to thousands joining the fracas and about 40 people were injured, according to Foxconn and Chinese media.
Workers went back to work on Tuesday but some working the nightshift roamed around the streets near the south gate filled with Internet cafes, small restaurants and hair salons.
One worker from China's southwestern Sichuan province, who asked to have his identity protected for fear of repercussions, said the incident of brutality by the security guards led to the explosion of anger.
"Many security guards beat one worker, and when a lot of workers saw that, they kept it to themselves, and didn't say anything. But this time the conflict was too great, because they really beat the workers too fiercely, so everyone just went crazy," he said.
Another worker from neighbouring Shaanxi province, who also wanted his identity protected, said bad management of Foxconn's huge plants created conditions that pushed workers to extremes.
"If the management system is inadequate for the entire plant, with tens of thousands of workers… there are too many workers, so if the management is inadequate and the specific details are not done properly, then there will definitely be incidents, like people jumping off buildings, or conflicts and fights happening inside. You can imagine, it happens often," he said.
A series of worker suicides in the Shenzhen plant where he was based until last month first drew international attention to the company.
Foxconn has begun a series of reforms after facing accusations of poor conditions and mistreatment of workers.
However, some analysts believe the incident at the Foxconn plant highlighted the changing business environment in China.
"The game is changing in China. The advantage of labour markets in China has been diminishing compared to Vietnam, Indonesia or maybe Brazil," said Yang Liu, Chair of Atlantis Investment Management.
Foxconn Technology Group of Taiwan, the trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, is the world's largest contract maker of electronics for global brands such as Hewlett Packard, Nokia and Dell as well as Apple.
Foxconn said on Tuesday the one-day closure would not disrupt supplies from the factory where 79,000 people work.