The significant pay increase is the second for Foxconn workers in less than two years and means salaries will reach between £180 and £250 per month. The firm said the rise, effective from 1 February, would compensate workers for cuts in overtime, made as part of efforts to reduce overall working hours.
The first big pay boosts were announced in 2010 after a spate of worker suicides received major media interest in the West.
Apple has been accused of benefiting from Foxconn’s use of low-paid workers in tough conditions. After it announced the iPhone 4S had driven record quarterly profits of more than £8bn last month, The New York Times ran a series of articles highlighting long hours, strict discipline and dangerous practices at Foxconn.
In response to the controversy, last week Apple said the Fair Labor Association would independently audit Foxconn City, one of the manufacturer’s biggest facilities, located in Shenzhen, Guandong Province.
“We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we’ve asked the FLA to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
Apple has also granted access to Foxconn facilities to Nightline, a US news programme, for a report due to air on Tuesday.
