Wintek strike settled, no impact on Apple products

Taiwan-based electronic component provider Wintek has resolved a strike that halted production of carts for Apple products, AppleInsider reported, citing a report in trade publication DigiTimes. More than 2,000 workers went on strike after they said that four employees died from exposure to hexane, a toxic chemical used in the production of touchscreen panels, and because their 2009 bonus was canceled by Wintek management. Workers vandalized equipment, which resulted in riot police being dispatched to the factory. Last year employees of the firm went directly to Apple with complaints about abusive working conditions, and trade unions on Taiwan have protested in front of Apple offices in Taipei. An audit of Apple contractors last year showed that more than half of Apple’s subcontractors were in violation of overtime pay laws, and more than a quarter were not even paying minimum wage.