Business / Companies

Foxconn soldiers on in Shenzhen

Updated: 2014-04-23 13:48 By Cai Muyuan (chinadaily.com.cn)

Lu Erfeng sits in front of his PC in his apartment in Longhua, Shenzhen, on March 6, 2014.[Zou Zhongpin / chinadaily.com.cn]

"It's so boring and depressing I can understand why they [the workers who committed suicide] did that."

Lu mentioned that the wage rose after the suicide incidents twice, "at first we were happy about it but soon enough people are not satisfied with it," Lu said.

"But people are always unsatisfied," he added.

According to Liu, the company spokesman, the basic wages for workers has been increased over 160 percent in the past four years.

According to the National Bureau of Statistic, the average wage of migrant worker rose 13.9 percent year on year to 2,609 yuan ($417) per month. The base wage of entry-level workers at Foxconn is around 2,500 yuan and with extra working hours they can make around 3,000 yuan ($480).

Foxconn has said it has also made substantial efforts to improve their facilities. According to the company it has increased social activities and adopted professional property management that addresses the needs of employees.

It even set up a care center after the suicides in a bid to polish the company's image and providing professional help for employees' mental issues.

"The facilities are nice, but who has the time to enjoy them?" Lu laughed. "I just want to sleep and stay in after work."

Still, Lu is not unappreciative about the efforts Foxconn has made.

"The executives make some good policies, but when they were implemented, they were distorted after they passed down from boss after bosses."

Old virtue and new force

Liu looked a bit nostalgic when talking about managing the young workers nowadays.

"Ten years ago, we had no problem dealing with our workers. They knew how to deal with their private things and how to communicate with you nicely," Liu said.

"Now with the post-90s generation, we find it very tough to communicate with them. They have no desire to be friends with or communicate with others."