Underage interns found working at Foxconn factory_美文

Underage interns found working at Foxconn factory

Foxconn, based in Taiwan, employs nearly 70,000 workers at its factory in Yantai.

"We are really sorry and we apologize to the students for causing this inconvenience," Woo said, adding that all of the company's factories have been ordered to look into whether they employ workers or interns younger than 16.

He said the interns at Foxconn cannot be forced to work, can quit any time they want and are not allowed to work night shifts or overtime.

"Interns are paid the same salaries as ordinary workers at Foxconn, so there is no reason we would take these risks (of hiring underage interns)," he said.

Foxconn has a short-term internship program with various vocational schools and other educational institutions on the mainland. The internship programs last from three to six months.

A student at Yantai Engineering and Technology College, who asked to remain anonymous, told China National Radio that he had once worked night shifts at the Yantai plant's circulation department. He said the schedule was difficult.

The factory eventually "fired" him after he took leave three times without first receiving permission, and a teacher at the college told him he would also be expelled from the school for failing to finish the internship, China National Radio reported.

More than 50 students at the college under the age of 16 were employed in the factory in September. The report said some of them worked seven days a week.