A trade union has been formed at the Chinese plant of Foxconn, the
electronics maker that assembles iPods for the US group Apple and is
backed with investment from Taiwan.
The move follows a drive by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions,
the country’s only legal union, to get branches set up in
foreign-funded companies.
As part of the pressure the city trade union in Shenzhen, where Foxconn
is based, had tried to persuade the company to allow unionized labour
since 2004. Finally, the two sides agreed in 2006 that a union should
be formed by the end of the year. The union was set up with only a few
hours to spare.
Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, established a union branch at its
Chinese headquarters in Shenzhen in November after repeatedly rejecting
requests.
