Controversial Chinese component maker Foxconn has admitted that student interns were assigned to work overtime in order to make parts for Sony's PlayStation 4, in violation of the company's policies.
Reports emerged yesterday from Chinese site Tencent Games (translated by Games in Asia) that thousands of students from the Xi’an Institute of Technology were forced to work at the Foxconn plant in order to receive six course credits necessary for them to graduate. Once at the plant, the students were reportedly put into menial assembly line jobs rather than anything related to their fields of study. According to the reports, they were forced to work long hours, including night shifts and overtime.
In a statement obtained by news site Quartz, Foxconn said that “immediate actions have been taken to bring that campus into full compliance with our code and policies" and that the company is "reinforcing the policies of no overtime and no night shifts for student interns." Foxconn stressed, however, that the interns' work was voluntary and that they could "terminate their participation in the program at any time." The course credit requirement appears to belie that claim, however.
Sony, for its part, told gaming industry news site MCV that it had found Foxconn to be in full compliance with the Sony Supplier Code of Conduct, meaning it was “complying with all applicable laws, work ethics, labor conditions, and respect for human rights, environmental conservation, and health and safety."
Foxconn has long faced accusations of substandard labor practices and worker abuse and has been the scene of worker riots. Last May, Apple reportedly joined with Foxconn in paying the costs needed to improve conditions at the factory.