Foxconn uses a monthly work schedule announced in advance before the beginning of the month. 179 Employees tend to be informed about overtime work two to three days in advance if there is any overtime work to be done. No instances have been reported by interviewed workers of any (negative) consequences if an employee cannot or refuses to work overtime. According to the workers interviewed, employees are quite happy to work overtime, as it increases their monthly income.180 Unlike the other companies in this report, PCE does not use the time-bank system, but within the monthly schedule days can be shifted. “Usually the beginning of the month is rather relaxed and towards the end the workload becomes higher, due to increased orders and shipments. Days from the beginning of the month, for example the Mondays, they [company management] tend to shift to the end of the month, so we have to work on a weekend-day as well. This way [calculated for the whole month] we don’t get any overtime.”181 According to company management, leave days for employees have to be requested at least 15 days in advance.182 Interviews with employees have confirmed that even in periods of major production there are no problems with asking and/or receiving permission for leave days. 183 5.3.
INCOME
Wages at Foxconn Székesfehérvár are composed of a basic wage, a shop floor bonus, a shift allowance and overtime pay. The shop floor bonus is paid out for any employee with active status with no regard to whether he/she is on holiday or sick leave. At the time of research, there was no shift allowance for the morning shift and there was 15% for the afternoon shift. Before, when the factory was operational at night, there was a shift allowance of 30% for night shifts. Overtime pay on workdays is 50% higher than the regular hourly fee, 100% higher on Saturdays and 150% higher on Sundays. 184 Wage levels at the Székesfehérvár plant differ according to the number of years worked at the factory and the position one has. Operators with less experience tend to earn around 60,000-80,000 HUF (€ 231-283) net a month, while an operator with years of experience might earn 75,000 to 90,000 HUF (€ 266-319). Technicians take home around 100,000-120,000 HUF (€ 355-425) a month and middle managers earn between 150,000 and 200,000 HUF (€ 532-709) per month.185 The amount of the shop floor bonus (which is included in the monthly pay) is 6,000 HUF (€ 21) a month for permanent employees with active status and 300 HUF (€ 1.05) for every working day for temporary agency workers. On top of their monthly wage, employees get 8,000 HUF (€ 28) worth of meal vouchers per month. The most commonly heard complaints of the Foxconn Székesfehérvár workers were the low wages. “I think in [Székes]Fehérvár Foxconn is the company which pays you the least. Also, our benefits are low.”186
Response of Foxconn to the draft version of this chapter. E-mail received 3 October 2012. Interview with Foxconn operators, October-November 2011. 181 Foxconn logistics employee, October-November 2011. 182 Interview with Foxconn management, 21 September 2011. 183 Interview with Foxconn operators, October-November 2011. 184 Interview with Foxconn management, 21 September 2011 and response of Foxconn to the draft version of this chapter. E-mail received 3 October 2012. 185 Interview with Foxconn operators and technicians, October-November 2011 with additions provided by Foxconn based on payroll data. E-mail received 3 October 2012. 186 Foxconn repair technician, permanent employee, October-November, 2011. 179 180
The Flex Sydrome Page 41