Poisoned workers want an apology
By Xu Chi |
June 25, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
LYING in bed in his hometown in Shandong Province, 27-year-old Jia Jingchuan fears for his future.
The path the rest of his life will take is bound to the nerve damage he has suffered as a result of chemical poisoning. This may further deteriorate into muscle atrophy if he does any kind of manual work.
Jia is one of 22 workers who earlier this month quit their jobs at a Suzhou factory making touchscreens for Apple.
They did so to receive compensation ranging from 50,000 yuan (US$7,724) to 180,000 yuan for nerve and muscle damage caused by poisoning at work.
The 22 workers are among 137 workers who were hospitalized in February after being poisoned by chemicals while working for Apple supplier Wintek.
The remainder of the victims are either still in hospital receiving treatment or back working in the factory.
They can only get compensation if they quit their jobs, and they fear no other companies would hire them due to their current physical condition.
Having personally received 130,000 yuan in compensation, Jia told Shanghai Daily the group who quit were relieved to see their six-month campaign achieve success.
However, that's not the end of the matter, said Jia, as he believes Apple still owes the group an official apology.
"We fought to leave the factory with enough money to start a new life, and we made it," said Jia,
"But I won't stop fighting until Apple stands up and says sorry for poisoning us."
An unnamed Apple official told the Beijing News newspaper that "Apple spends plenty of time and effort every year investigating its suppliers and punishes violations. In this particular case, Apple has expended great effort."
But the official refused to say whether the company had paid part of the compensation and if it would officially apologize to the group.
In 2008, workers at Wintek's Suzhou factory began suffering from numbness, sores and fainting spells. They were diagnosed with chemical poisoning, attributed to hexane, used to clean electronic components.
In the following two years, more workers complained of these symptoms but it was not until February this year that Wintek offered a compensation agreement.
Under this, compensation would only be paid if workers quit and the company would not be responsible for future illness linked to exposure.
The path the rest of his life will take is bound to the nerve damage he has suffered as a result of chemical poisoning. This may further deteriorate into muscle atrophy if he does any kind of manual work.
Jia is one of 22 workers who earlier this month quit their jobs at a Suzhou factory making touchscreens for Apple.
They did so to receive compensation ranging from 50,000 yuan (US$7,724) to 180,000 yuan for nerve and muscle damage caused by poisoning at work.
The 22 workers are among 137 workers who were hospitalized in February after being poisoned by chemicals while working for Apple supplier Wintek.
The remainder of the victims are either still in hospital receiving treatment or back working in the factory.
They can only get compensation if they quit their jobs, and they fear no other companies would hire them due to their current physical condition.
Having personally received 130,000 yuan in compensation, Jia told Shanghai Daily the group who quit were relieved to see their six-month campaign achieve success.
However, that's not the end of the matter, said Jia, as he believes Apple still owes the group an official apology.
"We fought to leave the factory with enough money to start a new life, and we made it," said Jia,
"But I won't stop fighting until Apple stands up and says sorry for poisoning us."
An unnamed Apple official told the Beijing News newspaper that "Apple spends plenty of time and effort every year investigating its suppliers and punishes violations. In this particular case, Apple has expended great effort."
But the official refused to say whether the company had paid part of the compensation and if it would officially apologize to the group.
In 2008, workers at Wintek's Suzhou factory began suffering from numbness, sores and fainting spells. They were diagnosed with chemical poisoning, attributed to hexane, used to clean electronic components.
In the following two years, more workers complained of these symptoms but it was not until February this year that Wintek offered a compensation agreement.
Under this, compensation would only be paid if workers quit and the company would not be responsible for future illness linked to exposure.
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