Hundreds of police officers, some in riot gear, deployed after staff at the factory in the manufacturing hub of Shenzhen walked out on Tuesday and blocked a highway to protest long working hours, China Labour Watch said.
Staff at the plant commonly worked 100 to 120 hours of overtime a month and said they also suffered a high rate of workplace injuries, mass layoffs of older workers and frequent verbal abuse by managers, the US-based group said.
The plant, which employs 3,000 people in the Pearl River Delta -- home to millions of Chinese migrant workers -- is owned by Taiwan`s Jingyuan Computer Group, which supplies components to Apple and IBM.
The strike ended after the company promised to reduce the amount of overtime, the rights organisation said in a statement. No one at the factory could immediately be reached for comment.
It was the latest in a recent spate of worker action in China, where strikes have historically been relatively rare as the country lacks truly independent trade unions.
More than 400 female workers at a bra factory in Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, cut off the power and downed tools this week after a manager told one to "jump off a roof and go to hell".
And last week, more than 7,000 workers at a factory in nearby Dongguan making New Balance, Adidas and Nike shoes went on strike, clashing with police in a protest over layoffs and wage cuts.
(U.C003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011