SHENZHEN, China, May 26 (UPI) -- A technology company in Shenzhen, China, is working hard to explain and reduce a rash of worker suicides, the chairman of the company said.
At a press event on the campus of Foxconn Technology, Chairman Terry Gou of parent company Hon Hai Precision Industry Group said, "We will leave no stone unturned and we will make sure we find a way to reduce these suicide tendencies," The New York Times reported Wednesday.
U.S. computer companies Apple, Dell and Hewlett Packard purchase parts from the company's two giant production campuses where 420,000 work.
Recent articles in Chinese newspapers described the conditions at Foxconn as harsh, the workers' dormitories over-crowded and the company culture as similar to military life, the Times said.
The wages are low -- $150 per month before overtime. Workdays can stretch to 10 hours.
Nine of the company's workers age 18-24 have committed suicide this year. Two others have attempted suicide, suffering serious injuries, instead.
"There is a fine line between productivity and regimentation and inhumane treatment. I hope we treat our workers with dignity and respect," said Louis Woo, an aide to Chairman Gou.
Gou said the company has invited psychiatrists, mental health workers and university professors to study the problem. Safety nets have been erected around some buildings.
"We are reviewing everything," he said.
