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May 24, 2010
Foxconn denies death link

TAIPEI - THE founder of Taiwan's Foxconn Group on Monday broke his silence over a string of suicides by its employees in China, denying the deaths were related to conditions at the technology giant's factories. 'I want to say that we're not running blood and sweat factories,' Terry Gou said in the wake of state media reports in China that nine Foxconn workers had seemingly jumped to their deaths since the start of the year. Foxconn, known in Taiwan by the name of its parent Hon Hai Precision, is the world's largest maker of computer components. It also makes iPhones for Apple.

The deaths have highlighted concerns about the difficult conditions for millions of factory workers in China, especially those at Foxconn, where labour activists say long hours, minimal pay and significant pressure are the norm. 'You know, Hon Hai has more than 800,000 workers worldwide, and it's not easy to manage such a large team,' Mr Gou replied when asked to comment on the suicides. Mr Gou, who was attending an event in Taipei to welcome a Chinese procurement delegation, added: 'I'm confident things will become stabilised soon.'

He did not say what measures had been taken, but the company said on May 17 that it had hired Buddhist monks and 100 counsellors for its workers at plants in China, as well as setting up hotlines to provide emotional support. Despite the measures, only days later a 21-year-old employee jumped to his death in southern China, state media there said. According to the China Labour Bulletin (CLB), a workers' rights group based in Hong Kong, the Foxconn suicides underline the pressure faced by young workers in China who must labour for long hours far away from their families. -- AFP