Foxconn to introduce union elections

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn (2038.HKG) said it will introduce democratic elections for labor union representatives in its Chinese factories for the first time, Financial Times reported. Foxconn, employer of the largest number of mainlanders in China’s private sector, will start educating its workers on the voting process after the Chinese New Year break this month. The workers will elect up to 18,000 union groups with terms to expire by 2014. The current unions are led by management, so many young employees are unfamiliar with the concept of an independent labor union. The US labor organization Fair Labor Association plans to assist in the process.