Over 2,000 workers in the Chinese city of Suzhou went on strike last week after persistent rumors circled that their employers, Taiwan-based Wintek Corp, would not pay a promised productivity bonus for 2009. They certainly seem to have earned that bonus: the workers build the touchscreens used in Apple’s iPhone, only the most popular and bestselling smartphone on Earth.
According to reports, the workers are outraged, flipping vehicles and damaging facilities in protest. Needless to say, production has halted in the meantime.
It’s hard to imagine this is going to go well for the workers. If conditions at Wintek’s factories are anything like those at Foxxconn’s iPod facilities, most of Wintek’s employees earn less than fifty dollars a month, and work 15 hours a day. They’ve doubtlessly earned whatever meager bonus is being held back. It’s easy to understand their frustration. Too bad the Chinese government isn’t the sort to look favorably upon worker rebellion.
