A strike was called by one of the main unions representing workers at Apple's stores in Paris and other cities after the breakdown of talks over working conditions. Demands by the union, which represents about a quarter of Apple Store employees, included the installation of water fountains, providing meal vouchers and paying a thirteenth month of salary as is common at French companies. The union also says it wants better conditions for employees at Foxconn and other Chinese factories that act as supplying industries for Apple products. Foxconn has long been criticised for poor labour conditions, especially after a rash of worker suicides in the past. On 23 September it came to an outburst of protest with thousands of workers demonstrating, finally leading to a closure of one of the largest Foxconn plants in China.
English: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57517598-37/apple-unions-day-of-solidarity ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/technology/foxconn-plant-in-china-closed-after ...
Focus on the Working conditions at Foxconn in China: http://sacom.hk/
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.