Foxconn's Taiyuan plant faces worker unrest, "2,000 person" riot
A Foxconn facility in Taiyuan, China is the scene of ongoing disturbances as workers rioted in the overnight hours. Engadget's Richard Lai, monitoring the Chinese microblogging and social sites, sees unofficial reports that the trigger for tonight's events was when security guards struck a Foxconn employee.
The plant is reportedly among those responsible for some iPhone 5 components, according to NBC; specifically, the aluminum back plate (original Chinese undercover report here). Harsh working conditions and pressure for overtime work in the run-up to the iPhone launch may have been contributing factors in the current unrest.
While Apple has made efforts to diversify its supplier chain and ensure humane working conditions at its contract manufacturing partners, there is still much to be done. Early this year, Mike Daisey's monologue The Agony & The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs purported to expose bad labor practices at Apple suppliers in China, only to be exposed itself as inaccurate and exaggerated in some key details.
