Microsoft Investigating Mass Suicide Threat at Xbox Plant In China

Microsoft is currently investigating reports of a mass suicide threat taking place at one of its Chinese plant over a pay dispute with the plants owner.  Foxconn, the owner of the plant, is a Chinese contractor that produces electronics for both Microsoft and Apple. This current dispute took place at its Wuhan, China factory which produces Xbox consoles for Microsoft.

Microsoft issued this statement out of company's Hong Kong office. "Microsoft takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously, and we are currently investigating this issue," but did not elaborate further as it was still investigating.

Foxconn has raised the pay of  workers in 2010 after some suicides at its factory in Shenzhen, China, and reportedly took various steps to both improve the lives of workers and offer help services for workers feeling suicidal.

This report, however, comes among general concern about the working conditions of those manufacturing high-end electronics like home consoles and iPhones, and also is representative of the Chinese workers' desire to raise their own living standards as they have become on the worlds primary centers of manufacture.  In fact, as Chinese workers have demanded better pay and benefits, the savings of manufacturing overseas has diminished, leading to jobs previously sent to China coming back to the United States.

[Source: CNN]