Taiwanese electronics group Foxconn and the family of a deceased Chinese iPhone worker have reached a preliminary agreement on pension and maintenance payments, Xinhua News Agency reports.
Investigations into a Chinese iPhone worker's death are believed to support the view that Foxconn employee Sun Danyong committed suicide by jumping from a building. Apart from fall-related injuries, there were no other injuries on his body, Xinhua reports.
It is believed Foxconn and Sun's family have reached a preliminary agreement on pension and maintenance payments. Foxconn has already made a 360,000 yuan (US$52,684 dollars) pension payment demanded by Sun's parents. Foxconn will also take responsibility for the long-term support of Sun's parents. It is understood they will be offered maintenance payments of 30,000 yuan per year.
Li Jinming, administrative general manager of Foxconn, said that money could not restore Sun Danyong's life, and the group was deeply saddened by the young man's death. Top executives will attend Sun's funeral in his hometown.
Li added that Foxconn is taking steps to improve its management methods. Foxconn is concerned about the mental health education of its 600,000 employees, he said. Mental health knowledge have been widely promoted through intranet broadcasts, on TV shows and in journals; Foxconn has also established a counseling hotline, consulting rooms, and provided professional counselors for workers facing emotional problems or heavy work pressure. He said the group intends to set up a full range of mental health services for its employees in the future.
Background: On July 16, 25-year-old Sun Danyong, an employee of leading Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn, jumped to his death from the 12th floor of a residential building, following the loss of a prototype iPhone. A widely circulated Internet account said Sun was illegally detained and his apartment raided by a company team investigating the disappearance of the prototype. It was also alleged that Sun was beaten during the investigation. The case attracted widespread public attention.
(China.org.cn by Ma Yujia, July 27, 2009)
