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{{Short description|Trade unions at Foxconn facilities}}
[[Foxconn]] is the largest private employer in China with 1.4 million employees. With over a million members, '''Foxconn Trade Union''' is the world's largest [[trade union]] and also a [[company union]] dominated by management. It was established in 2006 in [[Shenzhen]], China.

Similar to the situation in China, Foxconn has signed [[Collective agreement|collective agreements]] with [[Business unionism|managerial friendly trade unions]] in India. In contrast, Foxconn has signed [[Collective agreement|collective agreements]] with [[Union democracy|democratic trade unions]] in Brazil; in the Czech Republic, it inherited an existing union when it took over a former [[Tesla a.s.|Tesla]] plant.

== China ==
{{Infobox union
| name = Foxconn Trade Union
| formation = 2006
| native_name = 富士康科技集团工会联合会
| native_name_lang = zh
| logo = Foxconn Trade Union logo.png
| founding_location = [[Foxconn City]]
| headquarters = [[Shenzhen]]
| location = [[China]]
| membership = 1,000,000+
| owner = Foxconn
| leader_name = Cheng Peng
| affiliations = [[All China Federation of Trade Unions|ACFTU]]
| website = http://hhfox.com/portal.php
}}
In the summer of 2006, British, Chinese and US press reported poor working conditions in an [[iPod]] factory operated by Foxconn.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-08-30 |title=Apple works to resolve dispute over iPod factory - Technology - International Herald Tribune |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/technology/30iht-apple.2644616.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908214445/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/technology/30iht-apple.2644616.html |archive-date=2021-09-08 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] promised to investigate, while Foxconn responded by suing two of the [[Mainland China|mainland]] journalists involved. Foxconn later dropped their lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 September 2006 |title=Foxconn Defamation Lawsuit Withdrawn |url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/179964.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908214445/http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/179964.htm |archive-date=2021-09-08 |access-date=2021-09-08 |website=[[China Internet Information Center]]}}</ref> In response to media pressure and local interventions by [[Shenzhen]] municipal state officials, Foxconn promised to form a union.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Chan |first=Jenny |date=2013 |title=A Suicide Survivor: The Life of a Chinese Worker |journal=New Technology, Work and Employment |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=84–99 |doi=10.1111/NTWE.12007 |s2cid=154463838}}</ref> However, nothing materialized by November 2006. On the last day of that year, the Shenzhen branch of the [[All-China Federation of Trade Unions]] took the unusual step of establishing Foxconn's first union, initially with 118 members from the 240,000 workers at the [[Longhua Science and Technology Park]] facility. In March 2007, Foxconn CEO [[Terry Gou]]'s special personal assistant, Chen Peng,{{Refn|Sources use conflicting pronouns/titles for Chen Peng. Chen Peng is a woman according to the Financial Times and researcher Jenny Chan. She also goes by Peggy in the English language.|group=lower-alpha}} was elected as its first chair.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Foxconn Holds First Union Meeting |url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/BAT/205194.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908214444/http://www.china.org.cn/english/BAT/205194.htm |archive-date=2021-09-08 |access-date=2021-09-08 |website=[[China Internet Information Center]]}}</ref> Despite being the largest 'unionized' company in the world, with 90% of Foxconn's 1.4 million workforce registered; the Foxconn Federation of Labour Unions ({{Lang-zh|c=富士康科技集团工会联合会}}), more commonly known as the Foxconn Trade Union ({{Lang-zh|c=富士康工会}}) is a [[company union]] dominated by management rather than workers.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last1=Hille |first1=Kathrin |last2=Jacob |first2=Rahul |date=3 February 2013 |title=Foxconn plans Chinese union vote |url=https://www.ft.com/content/48091254-6c3e-11e2-b774-00144feab49a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908214445/https://www.ft.com/content/48091254-6c3e-11e2-b774-00144feab49a |archive-date=2021-09-08 |access-date=2021-09-08 |website=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref>
{{Main|Foxconn suicides}}
[[Foxconn]] again made global headlines in 2010, when over a [[Foxconn suicides|dozen workers committed suicide]] due to strenuous working conditions. Apple responded by bringing in the [[Fair Labor Association]], a US based [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]] as external auditor from 2012 to 2016.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Jenny |date=September 2017 |title=Betrayed: NO Democratic, Representative Trade Union for Foxconn Workers in China |url=http://sacom.hk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2017-Betrayed_NO-Democratic_Representative-Trade-Union-for-Foxconn-Workers-in-China.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908214446/http://sacom.hk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2017-Betrayed_NO-Democratic_Representative-Trade-Union-for-Foxconn-Workers-in-China.pdf |archive-date=2021-09-08 |access-date=2021-09-08 |website=[[Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour]]}}</ref> One of the Association's findings was that the Foxconn Trade Union failed to adequately represent workers.<ref name=":3" /> The [[Economic Policy Institute]] criticized the FLA report for giving Apple and Foxconn 'undue' credit, despite ongoing issues including forced [[overtime]] and the continued use of [[Child labour|underage labour]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polishing Apple: Fair Labor Association gives Foxconn and Apple undue credit for labor rights progress |url=https://www.epi.org/publication/bp352-polishing-apple-fla-foxconn-labor-rights/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829002257/https://www.epi.org/publication/bp352-polishing-apple-fla-foxconn-labor-rights/ |archive-date=2021-08-29 |access-date=2021-08-28 |website=Economic Policy Institute |language=en-US}}</ref> Foxconn promised in 2013 with the help of the Fair Labor Association to prepare genuine [[Union democracy|representative union elections]] through an anonymous voting process to elect up to 18,000 new union committees.<ref name=":3" />

In a 2017 [[Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour]] (SACOM) report, Jenny Chan criticized the limited worker participation inside the Foxconn Trade Union and the lack of awareness or involvement of workers in the first democratic union elections held in early 2015.<ref name=":4" />

== Brazil ==
Foxconn do Brasil (Foxconn Brazil) opened its first plant in 2007 in [[Jundiaí]], Brazil to manufacture parts for [[Dell]], [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]] and [[Motorola]]. Workers are represented by the Brazilian Metalworkers' Union ({{Langx|pt-BR|[[Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores Metalúrgicos]]|label=}}; CNTM), an affiliate of [[IndustriALL Global Union|IndustriALL]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Michelle |date=April 17, 2012 |title=Apple's Two Faces: Power Gaps Between Brazil and China Foxconn Workers |url=https://inthesetimes.com/article/apples-two-faces-power-gaps-between-brazil-and-china-foxconn-workers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829002257/https://inthesetimes.com/article/apples-two-faces-power-gaps-between-brazil-and-china-foxconn-workers |archive-date=2021-08-29 |access-date=2021-08-29 |website=[[In These Times (publication)|In These Times]] |language=en}}</ref>

In contrast to [[China–India relations|China]], at the start of the 2010s workers in Brazil had higher wages, stronger [[Consolidation of Labor Laws|labour protection]] and nearly double the minimum wage. In 2012, by the time Foxconn Brazil opened a second plant, also in Jundiaí, which focused exclusively on [[List of Apple products|Apple products]], CNTM already had experience organizing Foxconn workers at the first plant.<ref name=":02" /> After a 5-day [[Strike action|strike]] in 2014 involving 3,700 workers, Foxconn made a [[collective agreement]] with the union to match their salaries with the higher paid, non-Apple contracted Foxconn workers. A prior strike happened in 2013 for similar demands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-29 |title=Victory for Foxconn workers in Brazil |url=https://www.industriall-union.org/victory-for-foxconn-workers-in-brazil |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=[[IndustriALL]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Czech Republic==
Foxconn CZ s.r.o. (Foxconn Czech Republic) acquired what remained of the former state owned [[Tesla (Czechoslovak company)|Tesla]] plants in both [[Pardubice]] and [[Kutná Hora]], Czech Republic. As a result, it also inherited the prior existing trade union of OS KOVO,<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Čaněk |first=Marek |title=Flexible workforces and low profit margins : electronics assembly between Europe and China |date=2016 |publisher=[[European Trade Union Institute]] |isbn=978-2-87452-400-4 |editor-last=Drahokoupil |editor-first=Jan |location=Brussels |chapter=Building the European centre in Czechia: Foxconn's local integration in regional and global labour markets |oclc=952668624 |editor-last2=Andrijasevic |editor-first2=Rutvica |editor-last3=Sacchetto |editor-first3=Davi |chapter-url=https://www.etui.org/sites/default/files/Chapter%204_2.pdf}}</ref> the metal workers affiliate of [[Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions|ČMKOS]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Czechia Trade Unions |url=https://www.worker-participation.eu/National-Industrial-Relations/Countries/Czech-Republic/Trade-Unions |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526082656/https://www.worker-participation.eu/National-Industrial-Relations/Countries/Czech-Republic/Trade-Unions |archive-date=2022-05-26 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Worker Participation |publisher=[[European Trade Union Institute]]}}</ref> Foxconn Czech Republic currently pays the salary of one [[Union representative|trade union representative]], while the union, using funds from property it inherited, pays for an economist.<ref name=":0" />

The trade union and Foxconn Czech Republic negotiated their first [[collective agreement]] in 2000, with its first wage increase in 2002, with all future collective agreements including wage increases.<ref name=":0" />

== India ==
Foxconn India Ltd (Foxconn India) opened in [[Sriperumbudur]], 50 kilometers from [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]] in 2006, primarily to provide parts for [[Nokia|Nokia India]]. The factory was located inside the Nokia [[List of special economic zones in India|Special Economic Zone]]. Between 2010 and 2013, there was a dispute between three competing trade unions to represent the 2,000 Foxconn workers. Foxconn India initially recognized Foxconn India Thozhilalar Munnetra Sangam (FITMS) affiliated to [[Labour Progressive Federation]] of the ruling [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]] party, signing a [[Collective agreement|wage pact]] with them. In October 2010, some 1,200 workers belong to the Foxconn India Employees Union Foxconn ({{Langx|ta|India Thozhilalar Sangam; FIST}}), affiliated to [[Centre of Indian Trade Unions|CITU]] of [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPM]]. FIST started mobilizing in 2010, after a [[gas leak]] affected some 200 workers. According to FIST, most DMK workers transferred to FIST as a result. When [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|AIADMK]] party came into power in 2013, Foxconn India made a wage pact with their respective union Panchalai Anna Thozhilalar Sangam, which was valid until 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sivaramakrishnan |first=Vidhya |title=Foxconn moves Supreme Court over multi-way fight for trade union recognition |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/electronics/foxconn-moves-supreme-court-over-multi-way-fight-for-trade-union-recognition/articleshow/27258107.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2022-05-20 |work=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref>

None of the Apple contract facilities are unionized {{As of|2023|lc=y}}, but there was an unsuccessful attempt in 2021 by 30 workers in Chennai who were subsequently fired.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christopher |first=Nilesh |date=2023-06-01 |title=Apple and Foxconn lobbied India to relax its labor laws. Unions are fighting back |url=https://restofworld.org/2023/india-labor-laws-apple-manufacturing/ |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=[[Rest of World]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Apple Inc. and unions]]
* [[IBM and unions]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References ==
{{reference}}

== External links ==
* [http://hhfox.com/portal.php Official website: Foxconn Trade Union] (in Chinese)
* [https://user-kovofox.webnode.cz/ Official website: Foxconn OS Kovo] (in Czech)

{{Multinational unions}}
{{Foxconn}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Foxconn]]
[[Category:Tech sector trade unions]]
[[Category:Video game trade unions]]
[[Category:Labor relations by company|Foxconn]]
[[Category:Labor relations in China]]
[[Category:Labour relations in India]]
[[Category:Labor in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Labour disputes in Brazil]]
[[Category:Brazil–China relations]]

Foxconn and unions - Revision history

Hiya singh: New New Info