TOKYO -- Top Japanese electronics OEMs may soon find themselves in the midst of contentious disputes over pay to union workers, several published reports say.

The major unions presented a monthly pay hike offer of 4,500 yen to management representatives today as part of Japan's annual spring labor-management wage negotiations.

Corporate responses are due March 18, and it's not at all clear the unions will like them. Management at NEC, Hitachi Panasonic and others are seeking pay cuts, with Hitachi's top personnel affairs officer saying "talks on whether annual pay hikes should continue are necessary."

NEC is proposing cuts in overtime pay and Toshiba plans to propose a temporary wage reductions as well, reports said.

HANOI -- Foxconn International Holdings (Hon Hai) has received government signoffs to build a $200-million cellphone plant in the Binh Xuyen II Industrial Park in Vinh Phuc province, some 60 km north of Hanoi.

The Vietnam News Agency is reporting production is scheduled to launch in the first quarter next year.

The factory will have capacity of 89 million cellphones and tens of millions of cellphone parts per year, VNA said.

ST. PETERSBURG — Just months after receiving millions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives as part of a controversial proposal to stay rooted here, Jabil has asked for a two-year extension on its plans for a new headquarters. The state has not issued a statement on the request.

Last fall, Jabil negotiated some $34 million in incentives from local and state government in exchange for promises to invest some $50 million in the headquarters and increase its local employment. Jabil isn't eligible for the incentives until work on the headquarters is ready to start, according to reports.

Construction on the site was scheduled to begin this year, but facing lower revenues, Jabil asked for the extension, local papers are reporting. Per the agreement, Jabil may make a request for a delay once.

DONGGUAN, CHINA – EMS provider Express Manufacturing Inc. has opened a 120,000 sq. ft. subsidiary in Dongguan.
 
The Hong Kong-based subsidiary, EAL Electronics Ltd. (EMI Asia Ltd.), has been fully accredited by ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004.
 
EAL provides flexible high-mix/batch-volume and high-volume production on Fuji lines, RoHS materials handling, turnkey (material sourcing) solutions and DFX Services.