Forty-four workers are suing iPhone screen manufacturer Wintek for forcing them to use n-hexane, the same stuff they found in soy burgers a few weeks ago, to clean iPhone screens. The chemical causes “nerve damage and sometimes paralysis.”
Chinese media is reporting a manager forced his employees to use hexane because of its cleaning properties. The lawsuit, unusual in China, could also be related to growing worker unrest in factories.
“Lawsuits of any kind are uncommon in China, where disputes are usually addressed quietly behind closed doors,” Stratfor reports. “Much more common is labor abuse, and given the rising power of workers, we can expect to see more such suits, which provide legal outlets for social tension, a constant concern for Beijing.”