Foxconn resolves pay dispute with Chinese workers

GlobalPost

Foxconn Technology, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, said it has resolved a pay dispute with Chinese workers at one of its factories in central China, the New York Times reported.

The move follows a large protest and suicide threats by some Chinese workers in the city of Wuhan.

In a statement released Thursday, Foxconn said it had successfully resolved the standoff after a protest involving about 150 of its 32,000 employees, the New York Times reported.

“The welfare of our employees is our top priority, and we are committed to ensuring that all employees are treated fairly and that their rights are fully protected.”

After the talks with Foxconn and local labor officials, the company said 45 workers had resigned while the rest peacefully agreed to go back to work, according to the Wall Street Journal

The company is a major supplier of products to some of the world's most successful technology companies including Microsoft, Apple and Hewlett-Packard and has been under fire for poor working conditions and paying its employees substandard wages.

Microsoft said that it "takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously" and is currently investigating the situation.

More from GlobalPost: Microsoft investigating worker suicide claims

The dispute is just the latest in a series of labor problems to plague the company. In 2010, Foxconn was hit by a wave of suicides at several of its factories. The company has been accused of forcing workers to endure long hours for little pay.

The company employs about 800,000 workers, most of them in China.

More from GlobalPost: Silicon sweatshops: Foxconn refutes accusations

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