TSMC is building new factories in several countries to meet the growing demand for semiconductors. For example, they have plans to open new plants in India and Germany to increase its production capacity. One of these factories is currently being built in Arizona, USA. However, the construction is not going as smoothly as the Taiwanese manufacturer had hoped, and it keeps getting postponed. TSMC said before that they don’t have enough trained workers, which is causing the delay. But new information says the delay is because of bad management, not because there aren’t enough skilled workers. Here are the details…
Workers at TSMC Arizona Plant Say Poor Management Is Putting Safety at Risk
TSMC is currently building a high-tech chip factory in Arizona, USA. The project is expected to cost $40 billion and aims to be one of the world’s top chip-making facility. Construction started in 2021 and was supposed to finish in 2024. However, it’s now expected to start making chips in 2025 due to a shortage of skilled labor. At least, that’s what we thought. According to a report by Business Insider India, two current workers claim that operational mismanagement and administrative chaos have contributed to the delay in the factory’s construction.
We have heard many different things about what’s happening at TSMC’s factory in Arizona. For example, we recently shared news that American workers were not happy about 500 workers coming from Taiwan to speed up the work. However, the American workers allege that TSMC has been providing them with inadequate information and resources, and that the construction site is filled with safety violations.
A pipe cutter who has been working in construction for a long time and wishes to remain anonymous had this to say: “It’s not like we’re against the Taiwanese workers or anything. We’re against TSMC. TSMC is the problem. They keep saying we’re slowing them down, but they’re not giving us the information we need. Most of us are capable of doing it if you gave us the correct information.” Another person working at the plant as a welder made similar statements.
‘I would not want to be in these buildings after they’re fully complete’
One of the “I would not want to be in these buildings after they’re fully complete.” One worker mentioned that building code violations were common. He said, “Sometimes we’ll have to do work two or three times because they’re like, ‘Well, this is how we do it in Taiwan.’ So we build it exactly how they want it, but then as soon as it’s put in, we’re not going to sign off on it because it’s illegal. It’s against international building code.” These statements are particularly critical because if they are proven true in a potential inspection, TSMC could risk wasting years of effort.
After complaining about one safety issue for two straight weeks, he said, he spoke with a company safety representative. “He literally told me to my face that we’re only here for insurance purposes — they won’t let us do anything,” he said, referring to the company’s desire to meet baseline safety requirements. “And that’s when I gave up.”
TSMC has denied the allegations of poor management and safety violations. The company says that it is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all of its employees with this words: “TSMC is deeply committed to workplace safety in the operation of all our facilities, along with each of our active construction projects, including TSMC Arizona,”
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