Workers ' Poisoned ' turn to Apple

23 February 2011, Last updated at 12: 28 GMT Wintek touchscreens on contract makes Apple and other mobile phone companies. Chinese workers injured while making touchscreens for mobile devices, including iPhones, Apple have written in asking it to do more to help them.

Some 137 workers suffered adverse health effects after exposure to a chemical, known as n-hexane.

They argue that the Taiwanese factory owner never gave them a sufficient compensation.

Apple did not offer comment on the letter.

Five workers, including the 27-year-old Jia Jingchuan, have signed a letter to the chief executive officer Steve Jobs, asking Apple to offer help to above incidents.

They say that the owner of the factory didn't give enough compensation, urged those who took off to give up their job and was unable to guarantee that workers who might suffer illnesses fresh medical bills will have taken care of.

Long-term damage

WinTek, the Taiwan company that owns the factory said that the chemical is used in place of alcohol because evaporated faster and accelerate the production of touchscreens.

It has now returned to using alcohol to clean screens.

Jia Jingchuan is among victims of chemical poisoning

Workers exposed to n-hexane expert fainting and exhaustion, sweaty hands and feet, numbness in hands and feet swelling and pain. Some argue that they are still ill-effects.

Experts say that daily exposure to n-hexane can cause long-term damage.

In its annual report, published last week, Apple has acknowledged the incident.

"In 2010 we have learned that 137 workers at the plant of Suzhou to Wintek, one of the vendors Apple, they had suffered the adverse health effects following exposure to n-hexane, a chemical detergents used in certain manufacturing processes," read the report.

"We have commissioned Wintek to stop the use of n-hexane and provide proof that they had removed the chemical from their production lines," he said.

Apple said it has also asked the firm to provide adequate ventilation in the factory. You will monitor the plant and reaudit facility this year.

WinTek also provides components to a number of other companies, including Nokia and HTC.

This is not the first problem that Apple has experimented with its Chinese factories.

Annual report also refers to an incident to its primary supplier Foxconn factory in China, where a dozen workers committed suicide.

"We were disturbed and deeply saddened to learn that factory workers were taking their own life," read the report.

You said "suicide prevention specialists" were working with Foxconn to improve conditions.

Workers sickened at Apple supplier in China

Apple, describing it as a "violation of core" safety of workers, said that he had ordered the contractor to stop using chemical and to improve safety at the installation. Apple also said that they would monitor the medical conditions of workers.

But in interviews last weekend, almost a dozen employees say it's been damaged by chemical said he had never heard from anyone at Apple.

Instead, they told the contractor — a Taiwanese company called Wintek — had pressed them and many other workers affected to resign and accept cash settlements that would fulfil the responsibility for the future, charges the company denied.

"We hope that Apple will pay attention to its social responsibility," said Jia Jingchuan, 27. Said display at the plant to Wintek for the chemical, known as n-hexane, had left him with damage to the nervous system and made it so hypersensitive to cold that now he must wear down insulated clothing, even indoors. "Usually someone my age not wearing this kind of pants," said his voice raising awareness. "Only men 50 or 60 years wear something like this."

Monday, however, a Wintek spokesman denied that the company was pushing employees to resign or sign documents fulfilling the company's future liability.

The company said that he was working with healthcare professionals to assess the health of workers. Jay Huang, the spokesperson, Wintek has even suggested that it would be willing to pay for medical care should symptoms persist after the resignation of workers.

"Wintek's policy of handling this is to the benefit of workers, as the first priority," he said.

Kristin Huguet, a spokesman at Apple in Cupertino, California, has refused to discuss appropriate Wintek but said that the company has been committed to the highest standards of social responsibility in its supply chain. "We need our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat employees with dignity and respect and use environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, whenever our products are made," he said.

Many workers, however, say that do not trust factory because some managers continue to press workers injured to resign, sometimes insisting that they work longer hours, even if their health is compromised.

Mr. Jia, a machine repair worker, was among a group of employees gathered Sunday Wintek to discuss the case of unheated Apartment naked, a worker a few miles from the factory.

Some members of the group said that they were suffering from health problems still at work in the factory, which employs 18,000 employees at an average monthly wage of approximately $ 200, after hours of overtime.

Wang Mei, 37, Wintek, a supervisor of quality inspector said that she was hospitalized for 10 months due to n-hexane poisoning. Said he would leave the factory, but only after receiving assurances that Wintek would cover your medical bills, if kept his health problems.

"It's not that we want to work here," he said Sunday, as she tried to explain why she stays at the factory despite symptoms such as pain, recurrent in his limbs and fatigue. "We want to fight for our legal rights."

Another woman came into the room waving a letter from an insurance company in China, it for insurance life because she had been poisoned at Wintek factory.

Although many workers said that he hadn't heard from Apple, and had been pressed to leave Wintek, a worker has said that an employee of Apple had arrived at the factory in Suzhou, the Tuesday and had met with a few workers affected.

Workers also told Wintek managers appeared to be softening their stance earlier this week telling various workers injured that they would no longer be required to sign documents if they choose to resign.

Wintek injuries highlight the challenges Apple faces in trying to source goods from China, which dominates the production of electronics with cheap labour and highly efficient factories that often operate around the clock.

But China is also known for the factories that ordinarily do not comply with environmental and labor laws.

Chen Xiaoduan contributed research.

Intel to recruit 4,000 workers this year

Intel will be 4,000 workers in the United States, this year, primarily in product development, research and development, the company said Friday.

The company seeks to become "highly qualified employees, permanent", Intel CEO Paul Otellini said during a speech in Hillsboro, Oregon, where the President of the United States Barack Obama toured a factory the microprocessor. Intel currently has about 82,000 employees.

Obama is currently visiting the West Coast as part of an effort to promote innovation for maintaining U.S. competitiveness. Obama met with top leaders that IT companies, including Apple's CEO Steve Jobs and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg, as part of the tour.

"These new employees will focus on areas that extend the exploration of new materials to create even smaller transistors, products that we believe will transform the way that health and education are delivered, ' future technologies ' involving augmented reality and computer that can read minds, or at least to anticipate the needs," said Otellini.

Intel also announced that it would invest approximately $ 5 billion to build a chip factory in Chandler, Arizona. The plant will be dedicated to making chips for PC, consumer electronics and mobile devices, Intel said in a statement. Construction of the factory will begin in the middle of this year and should be completed in 2013, Intel said.

The commitment of $ 5 billion is in addition to Intel's investment of between $ 6 billion and $ 8 billion for the manufacture of new chip for PCs, smart phones, consumer electronics and devices, such as the company announced in October of last year. These funds will go towards the construction of a facility in Oregon and upgrading the factories to make chips using the new process of 22 nanometers. These chips would be faster and more power-efficient PC chips current society without using the 32 nm process.

Intel at the time said the investment of 6 billion to 8 billion dollars would help create about the construction of 6000 to 8000 in the United States during construction and finally would manufacture highly qualified and high wage 1000 jobs.