Another Foxconn worker commits suicide in Shenzhen
Staff reporter 2012-09-13 16:32 (GMT+8)
Foxconn employees at one of its factories in China. (Photo/Xinhua)
Another Foxconn worker in China has committed suicide by jumping from a building, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.
The Taiwan-based company, the world's largest manufacturer of electronic components, saw a spate of similar worker suicides linked to low pay and poor working conditions at its plants in China in 2010, though such incidents have become rarer over the last two years.
On Wednesday morning, a 22-year-old worker from the company's Shenzhen plant in southern China died instantly after leaping from the ninth floor window of his dormitory building.
Sources say the man, surnamed Yang, came from the city of Qiqihar city in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and he was said to be a regular drinker and internet gamer. Yang reportedly first slit his wrist before plunging to his death.
Foxconn, established in 1974, saw the first incident of a staff member committing suicide by jumping in January 2010 and 14 suicide attempts in that year attracted significant international attention to the conditions at the company, the leading contract manufacturer for brands including Apple, Amazon, Sony and Microsoft.
Reported suicide attempts have reduced significantly since then. Sources claim the total number of suicides is at least 18.
