Dell looking into suicides at Foxconn China plant

BEIJING: Computer giant Dell said Thursday it was looking into conditions at a Chinese factory owned by a Taiwanese supplier following the deaths of 11 workers in apparent suicides.

"We're investigating the reports. Any reports of poor working conditions in Dell's supply chain are investigated and, if warranted, appropriate action is taken," Dell spokeswoman Sharon Zhang told.

"We expect our suppliers to employ the same high standards we do in our own facilities."

The deaths have raised questions about conditions in Chinese factories, especially Foxconn's vast plant in the southern city of Shenzhen, where activists say workers face long hours, low pay and high pressure.

Clients of Foxconn, which is owned by Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision, include Dell, Apple, and Hewlett-Packard.

Apple, which is preparing to launch its iPad computer tablet in countries outside the United States on Friday, also says it is evaluating Foxconn's efforts to prevent further deaths.

"Apple is deeply committed to ensuring that conditions throughout our supply chain are safe and workers are treated with respect and dignity," a spokeswoman told AFP Wednesday.

China's official Xinhua news agency, quoting a witness, said a man jumped to his death at the giant Shenzhen complex late Wednesday, and that police had confirmed it was a suicide.

The death brought the toll of apparent suicides at the Shenzhen site this year to 10, with another death reported at a Foxconn plant in northern China.

Hon Hai's chairman Terry Gou publicly apologised for the deaths during a trip to Shenzhen Wednesday, but defended the company's labour practices and said some of the suicides may have been linked to personal problems.

Foxconn is urging workers to sign contracts promising not to kill themselves, according to media reports which also said employees must agree to go to psychiatric institutions if their mental health turns "abnormal".

The company, which employs an estimated 400,000 people in Shenzhen alone, also was said to be hanging safety nets around buildings at the sprawling factory.