Foxconn—China Labor Watch documented excessive overtime, unpaid wages, and unsafe conditions at Chengdu factory producing Amazon devices
In August 2023, China Labor Watch released investigation findings on Foxconn's Chengdu facility manufacturing Amazon Echo and Kindle devices. Workers reported mandatory overtime exceeding legal limits (80+ hours/month vs 36-hour legal cap), wages withheld for months, inadequate safety equipment, and dismissal threats for refusing overtime. Amazon audits had repeatedly missed these violations.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply Chain Ethics | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.443 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
China Labor Watch investigation (June-July 2023) documented excessive overtime, unpaid wages, and unsafe conditions at Foxconn Chengdu factory producing Amazon devices
China Labor Watch undercover investigation at Foxconn Chengdu factory (June-July 2023) documented systematic labor violations at facility manufacturing Amazon Echo and Kindle devices. Report published November 2023 found workers forced into mandatory overtime exceeding legal limits—80+ hours per month versus China's 36-hour legal cap. Workers reported wages withheld for months, inadequate safety equipment, and threats of dismissal for refusing overtime. Investigation revealed poor dormitory conditions with 8-10 workers per room, lack of privacy, and inadequate facilities. Workers cited 'extremely high work intensity' and 'fast pace' on production lines. CLW noted Amazon's audits had repeatedly failed to detect these violations despite the company's supplier code of conduct requirements.