iPhone 6 strike: Factory workers lay down tools as they beg for more money

Hundreds of staff at a factory that manufactures the iPhone, BlackBerry and Kindle have gone on strike in a row over pay.

The workers have had their overtime hours cut, which means they are losing out on cash they rely on to support their families.

Many said the extra shifts had given them another £200 – effectively doubling their salaries. Now they are demanding higher wages to make up for it.
One banner at the peaceful strike protest outside the Foxconn Technology Group building in Chongqing, south western China, read: "We need to eat and feed our families."

The factory has introduced a new streamlined production process that has reportedly slashed working hours, bringing in higher levels of efficiency – something the workers have called "robot-like" production.

Foxconn – which employs more than a million workers in China and also makes the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U – was reportedly holding talks with the disgruntled employees and workers were said to be considering a new offer following their demonstration.

It is not the first time the company has come under fire for its treatment of factory workers. In January 2012, 150 workers threatened to commit mass suicide in protest against working conditions but were eventually coaxed down from the roof of their building. In 2010 similar threats led to the deaths of 14 workers who jumped to their deaths.