Foxconn replaces '60,000 Chinese factory workers with robots'
Foxconn replaces '60,000 factory workers with robots'
7 hours ago
Workers have complained in the past about conditions in
Foxconn's factories
Apple and Samsung supplier Foxconn has reportedly
replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots.
One factory has "reduced employee strength from
110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots", a government
official told the South China Morning Post.
Xu Yulian, head of publicity for the Kunshan region,
added: "More companies are likely to follow suit."
China is investing heavily in a robot workforce.
In a statement to the BBC, Foxconn Technology Group
confirmed that it was automating "many of the manufacturing tasks
associated with our operations" but denied that it meant long-term job
losses.
"We are applying robotics engineering and other
innovative manufacturing technologies to replace repetitive tasks previously
done by employees, and through training, also enable our employees to focus on
higher value-added elements in the manufacturing process, such as research and
development, process control and quality control.
"We will continue to harness automation and manpower
in our manufacturing operations, and we expect to maintain our significant
workforce in China."
Since September 2014, 505 factories across Dongguan, in
the Guangdong province, have invested 4.2bn yuan (£430m) in robots, aiming to
replace thousands of workers.
Kunshan, Jiangsu province, is a manufacturing hub for the
electronics industry.
Economists have issued dire warnings about how automation
will affect the job market, with one report, from consultants Deloitte in
partnership with Oxford University, suggesting that 35% of jobs were at risk
over the next 20 years.
Former McDonald's chief executive Ed Rensi recently told
the US's Fox Business programme a minimum-wage increase to $15 an hour would make
companies consider robot workers.
"It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it
is to hire an employee who is inefficient, making $15 an hour bagging French
fries," he said.
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