Brazilian workers in the city of Jundiaí have threatened to go on strike against Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn beginning May 3 if the company does not fix problems related to water, food, and transportation. Local newspaper Jornal de Jundiaí first reported the situation on April 25.
Evandro Santos, director at United Steelworkers of Jundiaí and Region, told RCR Wireless News that Foxconn has begun taking steps to address worker concerns. “We did a meeting and forwarded to the company, on Monday, a document with a series of requests. Since then, Foxconn has begun to take actions, but they are not completed. We gave them a 10-day period, starting on April 23, and, if measures are not taken, there will be a rally against the company, including the possibility of a strike.”
The Jundiaí Foxconn plant is located in the State of São Paulo and employs about 2,400 workers. “Workers have been hired since the second half of last year to work on Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads, but the buildings are not finished yet,” said Santos. For example, an employee cafeteria is unfinished, he said.
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Workers also complained about transportation, noting the overcrowding of buses due to an increase in the number of employees.
In a statement, Foxconn said the lack of water was due to a supply problem in the region and that the matter has been dealt with. It also said the cafeteria in the unit has undergone some work this week and an expansion project is underway.
Foxconn noted it has adapted freight lines to meet transportation demand. “The company reiterates its commitment to provide adequate working conditions for all employees,” it said.
Apple did not answer RCR Wireless News requests to comment.
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