As we reported earlier, over 300 Foxconn employees (the people who make Xbox 360s,) threatened mass suicide over pay issues and compensation. Microsoft has responded, claiming they’re taking it very seriously.
“Microsoft takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously, and we are currently investigating this issue.” A Microsoft spokesperson told Kotaku. “We have a stringent Vendor Code of Conduct that spells out our expectations, and we monitor working conditions closely on an ongoing basis and address issues as they emerge. Microsoft is committed to the fair treatment and safety of workers employed by our vendors, and to ensuring conformance with Microsoft policy.”
After asking for a pay rise, employees of the manufacturing company in Wuhan, China, were told they could either resign and receive compensation or continue with their employment with no wage changes. When employees who chose to resign never received their payments, the uproar resulted in over 300 employees threatening to jump off a building in a mass suicide.
The mayor or Wuhan intervened, talking them down from the building. Foxconn has previously faced allegations of poor work conditions and low wages.
[Kotaku]