Foxconn to Have 1mn Robots in Place of its Workers

A few months ago, shocking stories about inhuman treatment being meted out to the workers at the Foxconn factory, China, among the production units of one of the world’s most prestigious brands, Apple, started doing rounds. The incidents of the suicides that came along, brought nothing, but shock and horror to those who till then, took pride in owning an Apple product.  

The fate of the workers? (Image source: allthingsd.com)

Now, in an attempt to raise efficiency levels, as also to cut down on labor costs, the Foxconn unit plans to employ around 1 million robots, over a period of three years. The robots will essentially be employed to carry out the most basic tasks, like spraying, welding and assembling - tasks that were being carried out by the workers, initially. The factory, according to a report that appeared in Xinhua, currently has around 10,000 robots, a number which will be increased gradually over a period of three years, to take it to the million mark. 

The Foxconn unit, based in China faced a lot of flak over the number of suicides that the inhuman working conditions, allegedly triggered. Since then, the workers were given better wages, precautionary measures to avoid suicide attempts by the factory’s managers were taken and the workers were made to sign ‘no-suicide’ pledges.

Now, although the robots will start stepping into the shoes of the workers in the unit, in a bid to improve efficiency and sales, it also means that a lot of workers will be rendered jobless, further adding to their woes. Do let us know in the comments box about your views on this.