BKSE closure takes its toil on factory workers

The decision by BKSE Bokwang Suzhou E&T Co Ltd to close its Wujiang factory in June left workers shell-shocked and local authorities dismayed.

At one point, BKSE employed 1,000 staff and was the largest printed board assembly maker for Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the South Korean smartphone and tablet giant.

But before putting up the shutters, that number had been reduced to 600 as the company struggled to compete against cheaper rivals and sagging sales of smart devices globally.