Rise of the machines: Factory in China replaces 60,000 workers with robots

Foxconn factory has reduced its employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000

In a bid to reduce labour cost and accelerate growth, factories in China’s Jiangsu province are replacing humans with robots.

Undergoing a makeover after an industrial explosion killed 146 people in 2014, the manufacturing units are following in the footsteps of Taiwan.

“The Foxconn factory (one of the suppliers of Apple in Taiwan) has reduced its employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000, thanks to the introduction of robots," said the publicity department head of Kunshan, the manufacturing hub for the electronics industry in Jiangsu, Xu Yulian.

"It has tasted success in reduction of labour costs and more companies are likely to follow suit."

According to a government survey, as many as 600 major companies in Kunshan have similar plans.



However, the job cuts are not likely to augur well for migrant workers in Kunshan, who make almost two-thirds of the county’s population of 2.5 million people.

Foxconn Technology Group confirmed to BBC News the company was automating many of the manufacturing tasks associated with their operations. However, it denied automation of tasks meant long-term job losses.

"We are applying robotics engineering and other innovative manufacturing technologies to replace repetitive tasks previously done by employees, and through training, also enable our employees to focus on higher value-added elements in the manufacturing process, such as research and development, process control and quality control," said the company in a statement.

"We will continue to harness automation and manpower in our manufacturing operations, and expect to maintain our significant workforce in China."

The article originally appeared on South China Morning Post