Published in Mobiles

Foxconn replaces 60,000 workers with robots

by on27 May 2016


Until the new iPhone makers start killing themslves


Foxconn has finally resolved the problem of labourers working on the iPhone trying to kill themselves by replacing 60,000 of them with robots.

According to the South China Morning Post, a Foxconn factory has "reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots.”

More companies are likely to follow suit as China is investing heavily in a robot workforce.

Foxconn insists that Robots meant long-term job losses and it was only applying robotics engineering and other innovative manufacturing technologies to replace repetitive tasks previously done by employees.

“Through training our employees can focus on higher value-added elements in the manufacturing process, such as research and development, process control and quality control. We will continue to harness automation and manpower in our manufacturing operations, and we expect to maintain our significant workforce in China," a spokesman said.

Since September 2014, 505 factories across Dongguan, in the Guangdong province, have invested $629,743,600 in robots, aiming to replace thousands of workers.

Economists are worried that automation will kill off the job market, with consultants Deloitte in partnership with Oxford University, suggesting that 35 per cent of jobs will go in the next 20 years.

Last modified on 27 May 2016
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