KUNSHAN -- Hundreds of temporary workers from Pegatron’s factory here gathered by the recruitment center of the factory protesting the loss of promised bonuses, a labor rights group said today.

The world's second-largest EMS/ODM recently announced a reduction of 10% of promised bonuses for all new temporary workers who came onboard to the factory in September, China Labor Watch said. The factory produces iPhones for Apple.

According to CLW, workers shouted "Refuse pay cut, give back our wages” and marched forward, accompanied by several riot police cars. Riot police wearing bulletproof vests then allegedly knocked down and took away at least six male and female workers at the scene.

A video purported to be of workers protesting the loss of promised bonuses provided by CLW to CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY shows scores of individuals walking along a sidewalk but no obvious signs of dissent are noted. 

CLW said that a short video that went viral on Chinese social media showed Pegatron recruitment managers throwing new workers’ ID cards on the ground for workers to pick them up. After the incident was exposed, CLW said, a large number of workers resigned and Apple’s orders could not be completed on schedule.

In mid-September, thousand of temporary workers were recruited during the peak production season with the promise that would receive a bonus of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,500) after working 55 work days. Yet in mid-December, CLW alleges, the workers were told some of the bonuses would be smaller. According to CLW, the factory and external recruiting companies intimidated and threatened the workers for various reasons in order to get them to sign documents agreeing to reduced pay. The actions led to protests on Dec. 19, when nearly 1,000 workers massed at Pegatron’s factory in Shanghai, and the subsequent protest today in Kunshan City, which also reached nearly a 1,000 protesters, CLW said.

Withholding wages to force workers to work at factories is a form of forced labor, China Labor Watch said in a statement. "Because Pegatron is unwilling to provide workers with long-term stable work contracts, a huge number of temporary workers are recruited by labor dispatch companies during peak season, which often account for more than 40% of the total number of Pegatron’s workers. It is also a serious violation of China’s labor law which limits temporary dispatch workers under 10% of the total number of workers."

CLW has been pressuring Apple and other major OEMs for years to heed its calls for better treatment of workers by subcontractors.

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