Workers strike at Singapore firm in China

Thousands of workers at a Singapore-owned plant in China's commercial hub of Shanghai have gone on strike to protest against a plan to move the factory, a labour rights group said Wednesday. About 6,000 workers at the Flextronics plant walked out Monday, vowing to continue the action until they are paid compensation after the firm said it would shift output to a plant in nearby Suzhou city, New York-based China Labor Watch said in a statement. The Shanghai factory could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday. Flextronics Technology (Shanghai), which was set up in late 2001, makes printing devices and electronic components, according to Jiading district, where the plant is located. The firm has operations in several cities in China, including another district of Shanghai and two facilities in Suzhou, according to the company's website. China was hit by a wave of strikes late last year, as employees protested over low salaries, wage cuts and poor conditions after companies announced cutbacks due to the global economic slowdown. In December, thousands of workers at a plant in the eastern city of Nanjing owned by South Korea's LG Group staged a three-day strike, which ended after the company agreed to double year-end bonuses.