On Friday explosions ripped through the plant, which has been labeled as one of the key assembly locations for Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad 2. Early reports indicate the explosions were triggered by a buildup in flammable dust over the polishing workshop of the plant.

Pressured by Apple to deliver better products at higher quantities and lower prices, Foxconn turned up the heat on its employees last year. As a result the company saw multiple suicides, with employees complaining of "hellish" working conditions. The suicides shocked China; while suicide rates in mainland China are generally quite high, they are unusual among young working age males, particularly those who have factory jobs. The majority of the victims were indeed young males.

Foxconn responded with a variety of tactics -- contracts demanding employees not kill themselves, anti-suicide nets, investigation into replacing employees with robots, and pay raises to raise worker morale. The company claims employees are lying about poor working conditions.

The gadget maker refused to comment on its supplier's latest crisis.

http://www.dailytech.com/Explosion+Rocks+Foxconns+iPad+2+Factory+Three+Dead/article21699.htm

Foxconn explosion won't greatly affect iPad 2 production for Apple

Apple Has a Foxconn Problem

well, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.