It was recently reported that Apple Inc. has teamed up with Foxconn, the Chinese supplier of iPhone and iPad devices, to improve the labor conditions in its manufacturing facilities. And now China Daily reports that Foxconn is investing $210 million into building a new production line in Huai’an City, China. Foxconn plants, known for various questionable practices including employing underage workers, and underpaying and likewise overcharging workers to live in on-site dorms, prompting strikes and mass-suicidal behavior.
Here’s a recent clip of a Foxconn production line:
The facility will likely cover 40,000 square meters, and employ 35,8000 workers. Still, this would be smaller than other Foxconn plants, though revenues from the plant are expected to be between $949 million and $1.1 billion annually. Foxconn also opened new plants in Brazil and Zhengzhou last year.
No word on what devices will be produced at the Huai’an City plant, and it is speculated that the newest iPhone will be built at Foxconn’s main Shenzhen plant, which houses roughly 200,000 employees. It was recently reported that Apple’s iPhone 5 saw the late Steve Jobs heavily involved in its redesigned, which should arrive around October.
