HP sets labor guidelines in for Chinese suppliers

Personal computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. is pledging to crack down on its Chinese suppliers in an effort to reduce the use of low-paid student interns and other temporary workers.

The guidelines unveiled Friday are the latest attempt by a major U.S. technology company to weed out labor abuses at Chinese factories that manufacture the gadgets of an Internet-connected world.

HP, the world's largest PC maker, says its new standards are meant to ensure its Chinese suppliers don't lean too heavily on student interns and temporary workers as a way to save money. The company says it wants to protect workers' rights when they are hired.

The standards come a few months after Foxconn, a major China manufacturer used by HP, acknowledged it has hired interns as young as 14.