Amazon Criticized Over Labor Conditions at Foxconn Factory

A manufactory in China that builds Amazon Kindles and Echo Dot devices is facing accusations of worker mistreatment over depression pay and long hours.

To cut costs, a Foxconn-owned mill in Hengyang, China, has hired about 2,000 temporary "acceleration workers," which it can lay off at whatever time, according to an investigation by China Labor Sentry. Those same workers earn about $2.26 an hour, and can finish up raking in 100 hours in overtime a month to make upwards for the low wages.

Foxconn Hengyang Factory

The long hours and Foxconn's hiring of so many dispatch workers at the establish violate local labor regulations, the watchdog grouping said in a new report on Sunday. "Amazon'south profits have come at the expense of workers who labor in bloodcurdling working weather condition and have no selection but to work excessive overtime hours to sustain a livelihood," Communist china Labor Watch claimed.

Amazon is aware of the problems. In an electronic mail, the company told PCMag that information technology audited the Foxconn factory in March. Both the hiring of acceleration workers and overtime were identified as "issues of concern" that Amazon requested Foxconn accost.

"We are committed to ensuring that these issues are resolved," the company added. Foxconn also told Reuters information technology's investigating the factory over the reported labor violations.

The factory in Hengyang employs well-nigh 4,500 workers, forty percent of whom are dispatch workers. Co-ordinate to Chinese law, the manufacturing plant must cap its acceleration workers at 10 percent.

Foxconn Hengyang Factory 2

People's republic of china Labor Watch sent several investigators to the plant between August 2022 and Apr 2022. One investigator was hired as a worker at the factory for a task that involved wiping the dust off hundreds of Amazon Echo Dot speakers each day with a toothbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol.

"I thought well-nigh China's cheap labor and wondered exactly how cheap that labor was," the unnamed investigator describes in the report. "I thought working on this product line was just likewise exhausting."

According Red china Labor Sentinel, workers tin earn around 4,000 RMB ($624) a month during the elevation production season, but only when they log 100 hours in overtime. Despite the long hours, the dispatch workers prefer to work more than to increment their pay.

However, China Labor Watch argues that Amazon and Foxconn should increment the base of operations wages at the factory (at 1,750 RMB), and so that employees can earn a decent living income without exhausting themselves.

"Amazon has the ability to not only ensure its supplier factories respects the rights of workers but also that at that place is equal pay for equal work," the watchdog group said in its written report.