Foxconn workers on strike in China

Beginning in the Yongbaoshui District, workers demonstrated with holding banners, including one that read, “We aren't robots. We need to eat and feed our family.”, the organisation states, citing multiple sources. Workers' low wages are related to reduced production orders from HP at the Foxconn plant. Rather than firing workers and paying them the legally obligated severance pay, Foxconn management compel workers into quitting, and forfeiting severance pay, by significantly reducing workers' overtime hours. A large portion of Foxconn workers' wages are composed of overtime pay, and without lots of overtime, take-home pay for workers rarely meets a living wage standard, the statement continues. There are unconfirmed reports that workers will continue striking on Thursday, October 9. Wednesday's strike is the second strike this year at Foxconn Chongqing related to a reduction in HP orders. In June, about 800 workers at the plant went on a work stoppage to demand proper severance pay. We've received a statement from Foxconn, which can be read in full below: October 9, 2014: Foxconn can confirm that a group of approximately 1'000 employees at our facility in Chongqing, China carried out a labor action on the afternoon of October 8. The group was peaceful and the workers returned to work approximately four hours later following discussions and agreements between the employees, representatives from the Labor Union, and management of the employees’ business group. We can also confirm that a small group of 20 employees at that same facility carried out a similar labor action earlier today and we are working with the Labor Union and the employees to resolve this matter. Production at our Chongqing campus was not affected by this action.