Foxconn suicide
Foxconn's worker suicide problem hasn't gone away.
Chinese media reported Friday that a female worker in the electronics company's new factory in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, killed herself by jumping off the building on Wednesday. The suicide mirrors the string of suicides that gave the electronics giant a massive black eye last in recent year and shone a spotlight on working conditions for those who make the world's gadgets. Foxconn, based in Taiwan, owns several mega-factories in China that produce components and finished products for the world's largest electronics companies, including Apple.
Labor-rights groups have reported nearly 20 confirmed worker suicides at Foxconn factories in recent years. Critics have said the rate is not out of line with society at large, but the reports remain jarring. Police said the 20-year-old woman in Taiyuan left a note saying she was upset over the recent end of a romantic relationship.
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