Approximately 20,000 New Foxconn Workers Recruited, Strikes Might Follow
The China Morning News reports Foxconn is hiring 20,000 workers for production of the new iPhone in a place called Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, Northern China.
Foxconn in Tai Yuan is now building a new base for iPhone 5 production. The company is now in need of approximately 20,000 workers.
Mr. Yu, an insider at Tai Yuan Foxconn, says that the company still has tons of openings, especially front-line workers. “As long as they meet the basic standards, (we’ll) take as many as possible.”
Given Apple’s prominent position in the industry, Foxconn has made iPhone production its foremost priority in mainland China. Mr. Yu says that Foxconn gets about 85% of the total order of iPhone 5, which translates into about 57 million units per year.
According to another report the workers were promised a raise ahead of the next iPhone production. They might not have gotten this raise and therefor decided to strike.
An entry-level worker at Foxconn is typically paid 1,550 yuan (US$245) per month, rising to to 1,800 yuan (US$285) per month after three months. When bonuses and overtime pay are included, a worker may typically earn between 2,200 and 3,500 yuan (US$345-$550) a month.