Shenzhen, where some of China's largest electronics manufacturers are located, looks set to hike its minimum wage by 13.3%, in a move that could

Shenzhen, where some of China’s largest electronics manufacturers are located, looks set to have its minimum wage hiked by 13.3 percent from 2013, in a move that could cause a ripple effect across the world’s major technology companies.

Apple, HP, Samsung and Nokia are among the companies that have parts and products manufactured in the Guangdong province city, so the wage rise,reported by Digitimes, could impact the cost of computers, handsets and games consoles worldwide. Among the companies based in the city’s Pearl River Delta tech hub, many of them Taiwanese OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), BYD Company produces handsets for Nokia and HTC, while Shenzhen-based Wistron signed a patent deal with Microsoft in 2011 to supply its Android and Chrome products.



Rising costs in China have fuelled a string of protests from workers in recent years, with strikes by manufacturing employees rapidly increasing between May and July 2012. Shenzhen’s local authorities are tempering possible worker action with the rise, which raises the basic pay from about £149 to £169 a month in early 2013. Shenzhen already boasts one of the country’s highest minimum wage rates, falling just short of Beijing.

Read more: [link to www.wired.co.uk]