photo credit: Gorodenkoff/ Shutter Stock
More than a year after the tragic death of Xiao Xu, a worker at the Suzhou Qisda factory, the issue of excessive overtime remains unresolved. Xiao Xu died suddenly on August 14, 2023, after working 13 consecutive days with shifts exceeding 12 hours.
Qisda's Corporate Sustainability Reports for 2022 and 2023 highlight ongoing issues with managing working hours. The reports underscore the need for improvement, yet the company has failed to implement practical changes, as evidenced by Xiao Xu's death.
A recent report from independent watchdog Electronics Watch (EW) acknowledges that Qisda has taken some steps at the corporate level, such as restricting working more than seven consecutive days and discussing overtime issues at its last annual meeting. However, EW argues that these measures fail to adequately address the risks associated with excessive working hours and involuntary overtime.
Qisda faces ongoing challenges with excessive working hours despite recognising the problem. Moreover, it remains to be seen whether the company can foster meaningful dialogue between employers and employees and oversee the implementation of these strategies within the enterprise.
Qisda needs to find practical solutions to address pressing issues, especially since it supplies several international brands, many of which are subject to the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. This legislation imposes due diligence obligations on suppliers that violate workers' rights and freedom of association. In 2012, Suzhou Daily published an article discussing the "Suzhou characteristics" of the trade union model, noting that the Suzhou Federation of Trade Unions had helped Qisda establish an enterprise trade union. This indicates that the company has had a trade union for quite some time. Illegal overtime work has violated workers' rights, and it is urgent to restore the original trade union for collective negotiation.