Foxconn announces wage hike amidst Apple scrutiny

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Major tech supplier Foxconn has announced a hike in worker wages after facing intense scrutiny over conditions at its factories.

Foxconn, which makes kit for the likes of Apple, Dell and HP, said it will increase the pay of assembly line workers by between 16 and 25 per cent.

From 1 February, workers have received wage rises, meaning they can now earn 1,800-2,500 yuan (£180-£250) per month.

We mostly found people who face their days through soul-crushing boredom and deep fatigue.

The company’s plants are also set to be investigated by the Fair Labour Association (FLA) after Apple asked the group to audit its major suppliers.

Foxconn is also reportedly attempting to cut down working hours.

The company’s plants have been hit by a string of tragedies, including worker suicides and a significant explosion that injured workers.

Apple has been particularly vocal this month about ensuring its suppliers are treating staff fairly.

CEO Tim Cook recently told a Goldman Sachs investors conference that Apple suppliers would have to give workers a fair and safe work environment and competitive wages if they wanted to work with the iPhone maker.

Cook claimed no one in Apple’s industry was doing more to improve working conditions.

ABC News in the US has been given exclusive access to Foxconn plants. The anchorman for the Nightline show Bill Weir said he had found many workers complaining of tiredness and being underpaid.

“We mostly found people who face their days through soul-crushing boredom and deep fatigue,” Weir wrote.

“And when I asked 'what would you change?' we heard the kind of complaints you might hear in any factory anywhere.”

In August last year, Foxconn said it wanted to ramp up the use of robots, raising fears workers would be laid off.

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