Companies

Poisoning prompts workplace oversight

By Qian Yanfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-12 10:36

Employees of Apple Inc supplier want concrete action from govt

BEIJING - A senior official in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has pledged to step up government supervision of workers' health following a poisoning incident at one of Apple Inc's supplier factories in the city.

"We've strengthened surveillance at workplaces and made it clear that any companies found in violation of workers' rights will be punished and even shut down," Jiang Hongkun, Party secretary of Suzhou, told China Daily on Friday on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress annual session.

"We do not allow any enterprise to pursue development at the cost of workers' health.

"We need to ensure employees work in a good workplace environment and get decent pay, and that companies need to conduct regular health checks for staff," he said.

Employees of United Win Technology, which is owned by the Taiwan-based Wintek Corp and produces iPhone components for Apple, suffered muscular atrophy and damage to their nervous systems after using the chemical n-hexane to clean touch panels from October 2008 to July 2009.

The chemical, which evaporates faster than alcohol, was used at the factory to speed up production.

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Apple acknowledged the scandal on Feb 15. The company said 137 workers at the Suzhou facility had suffered adverse health effects following exposure to n-hexane.

So far some 100 victims have left the factory after receiving compensations from 80,000 yuan ($12,000) to 140,000 yuan. They also signed exemption agreements, freeing the factory of any responsibility if their health worsened in the future, which experts said is not illegal.

Jiang, also an NPC deputy, said the factory is now working with the government to properly deal with workers' requests, including those for follow-up treatment and compensation.

Jia Jingchuan, a 27-year-old victim, said he and his fellow colleagues hoped to see more concrete action from the factory and government, as well as a response to their needs.

He said 14 victims diagnosed as recovered had later relapsed, according to recent health checks from hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities. But the hospital in Suzhou refused to recognize any health reports from outside the city and would not treat them, Jia said.

The workers had earlier expressed mistrust of local hospitals, which they feared might produce health reports favorable to the factory.