Winstron is a known technology manufacturer for companies like Lenovo, HP and Dell. (Photo : Wikimedia)
Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron has denied all claims by DanWatch that the company used forced student labor at its Chinese factory.
Wistron is known for being the manufacturer of computer servers for Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and Dell.
DanWatch is a Danish non-government organization (NGO) that advocates for human rights and against the exploitation of workers.
According to a DanWatch report published on Oct. 5, the NGO found that schools send tens of thousands of Chinese students to the assembly lines of the world's biggest electronics manufacturers, forcing them to work 10-12 hours a day for up to five months.
The report claimed that the unfair labor practices were hidden under the guise of irrelevant internships. Attempting to quit the internship would result in being denied graduation.
The Danish NGO conducted interviews with student interns that they claim revealed alleged violations of intern's rights, the International Labor Organization's convention on forced labor and China's own labor law.
In an email to Central News Agency (CNA), the state news agency of Taiwan, Wistron said, "As our company receives input from various organizations we will look for any improvements which will enhance the well-being of our staff."
"We appreciate any comments and suggestions received which help us implement employee-related improvements at all levels of our company," Wistron added.
The email also said that "for those students highlighted by DanWatch, students seem to have a misunderstanding of their choices regarding school programs and work at Wistron," as a response to the allegations by DanWatch.
"For any misunderstanding by students we will continue to educate them about their choices offered by their schools. We will also continue to ask for their feedback to confirm their willingness to join any programs at our company," the statement added.
According to a Wistron release dating back to Aug. 21, there are students from four schools working at the Wistron Zhongshan Technology Park.
The company also added that one school required working with the company as part of a "Social Practice" course, while other students opt to work there to earn extra money. Neither option are internship programs.
