# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Frank Segers De OCMW's van de gemeenten krijgen van de federale regering extra geld om erkende vluchtelingen sneller te integreren. Dat heeft de ministerraad beslist. Het gaat om 10 procent bovenop het leefloon van de asielzoekers.

Het extra geld moet vooral dienen om erkende vluchtelingen sneller aan werk te helpen, zegt staatssecretaris voor Asiel Theo Francken (N-VA). "Het is zo dat het OCMW heel wat doet, mee helpen voor huisvesting, maatschappelijke dienstverlening, begeleiding van erkende vluchtelingen", zegt Francken.

"OCMW's helpen vluchtelingen die erkend zijn - momenteel minder dan de helft - dus snel hun weg te vinden en zo snel mogelijk werk te vinden, want het belangrijkste is dat die mensen bijdragen", stelt Francken.

"De vooruitzichten daarvan zijn niet goed. Er is een probleem met de tewerkstelling van erkende vluchtelingen, maar die mensen moeten zo snel als het kan aan de slag. Het zou ook helpen aan het maatschappelijk draagvlak om zoveel mensen te ontvangen. Zien dat die mensen ook werken en bijdragen, onze economie sterker maken en belastingen betalen", besluit Francken.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meer geld voor integratie van vluchtelingen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Frank Segers De OCMW's van de gemeenten krijgen van de federale regering extra geld om erkende vluchtelingen sneller te integreren. Dat heeft de ministerraad beslist. Het gaat om 10 procent bovenop het leefloon van de asielzoekers. Het extra geld moet vooral dienen om erkende vluchtelingen sneller aan werk te helpen, zegt staatssecretaris voor Asiel Theo Francken (N-VA).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Deze website maakt net zoals de meeste websites gebruik van cookies. Via deze cookies verzamelen wij informatie over uw bezoek en interesses. Op deze manier is het mogelijk om onze inhoud blijvend gratis aan te bieden en een gepersonaliseerde website en relevante advertenties te tonen. Zo houden we het voor u op elk moment interessant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Apple and Samsung supplier Foxconn has reportedly replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots.

One factory has "reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots", a government official told the South China Morning Post.

Xu Yulian, head of publicity for the Kunshan region, added: "More companies are likely to follow suit."

China is investing heavily in a robot workforce.

In a statement to the BBC, Foxconn Technology Group confirmed that it was automating "many of the manufacturing tasks associated with our operations" but denied that it 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.

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

Since September 2014, 505 factories across Dongguan, in the Guangdong province, have invested 4.2bn yuan (£430m) in robots, aiming to replace thousands of workers.

Kunshan, Jiangsu province, is a manufacturing hub for the electronics industry.

Economists have issued dire warnings about how automation will affect the job market, with one report, from consultants Deloitte in partnership with Oxford University, suggesting that 35% of jobs were at risk over the next 20 years.

Former McDonald's chief executive Ed Rensi recently told the US's Fox Business programme a minimum-wage increase to $15 an hour would make companies consider robot workers.

"It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who is inefficient, making $15 an hour bagging French fries," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Apple and Samsung supplier Foxconn has reportedly replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots. One factory has "reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots", a government official told the South China Morning Post. Xu Yulian, head of publicity for the Kunshan region, added: "More companies are likely to follow suit."

# data[].attributes.body
26 mei 2016

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By

The first wave of robots taking over human jobs is upon us.

Apple Inc. supplier Foxconn Technology Co. has replaced 60,000 human workers with robots in a single factory, according to a report in the South China Morning Post, initially published over the weekend.

This is part of a massive reduction in headcount across the entire Kunshan region in China's Jiangsu province, in which many Taiwanese manufacturers base their Chinese operations.

In a statement to MarketWatch, Foxconn Technology Group confirmed that it has been automating its manufacturing facilities throughout China, including Kunshan, for "many years," which it says has freed up its employees to focus on higher value-added elements of the manufacturing process, such as research and development, process control and quality control.

"Across all of our facilities today, we are applying robotics engineering and other innovative manufacturing technologies to replace repetitive tasks previously done by employees," Foxconn said. "As our manufacturing processes and the products we produce become more technologically advanced, automation is playing an increasingly important role in our operations and we have plans to automate more of our manufacturing operations over the coming years."

Roughly 600 companies in the Kunshan region are reportedly looking to reduce headcount with robots, as part of an effort to accelerate growth and reduce costs, according to the South China Morning Post, which cited data from the Kunshan government. Last year, 35 Taiwanese companies, including Foxconn, spent a total of 4 billion yuan ($610 million) on artificial intelligence as part of this initiative, according to the report.

While developing AI does present higher upfront costs, machines are seen as more predictable and stable over the long term versus humans, potentially leading to personnel cost savings over the long term. With such high pressures placed on these manufacturers, which assemble much of the world's consumer technology products and are often under strict deadlines, it also alleviates some of the ethical issues that arise when working people too hard for too long to meet demand.

Foxconn has been criticized for years for inadequate working conditions, which led to a string of suicides at its manufacturing facilities a few years ago. Foxconn employees have complained of being overworked, sleeping in less-than-ideal dormitory conditions, and not being paid fairly, but the company has worked to improve conditions recently.

Also Read: It would take 2.5 years of Foxconn wages to afford $10,000 Apple Watch

The trend of replacing humans with more efficient robots is not confined to China.

As of February, there were more than 260,000 robots working in U.S. factories, according to industry trade group Robotic Industries Association. A total of 31,464 robots, valued at a combined $1.8 billion, were ordered from North American companies in 2015, a 14% increase in units.

Amazon.com Inc. is one such U.S. company that has been i ncreasingly employing robots, with thousands shuffling around and sorting items in its fulfillment centers. Auto manufacturers have used robots to assemble cars in the U.S. for years.

At the moment, robots are expected to be used for lower-paying jobs that require less sophisticated skills, such as product assembly. But they are increasingly targeting more sophisticated and social roles that require customer service skills.

SoftBank Group's humanoid consumer robot Pepper was rolled out to several Chinese retail stores over the last year. This week, Pepper also got a job at Pizza Hut, with the pizza chain unleashing the robot at certain stores in Asia to take customer in-store orders.

More sophisticated robots are also being developed, though they may face a tougher road to acceptance, given the higher-paid human jobs they threaten.

A robot that could serve many of the same functions as an anesthesiologist, for example, was discontinued in the U.S. after one year due to poor sales. The light demand might be attributed to immense backlash from the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which supports human doctors.

Also read: Donald, Hillary and Bernie are lying to us about those lost manufacturing jobs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Apple supplier Foxconn replaces 60,000 humans with robots in China

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By The first wave of robots taking over human jobs is upon us. Apple Inc. supplier Foxconn Technology Co. has replaced 60,000 human workers with robots in a single factory, according to a report in the South China Morning Post, initially published over the weekend.