Apple's image may be tarnished by poor factory conditions (in China)

[DainBramaged]

Apple presents an image of quality, but an audit of its factories in mainland China showed that more than half of these weren't paying their workers properly last year.



Following an investigation on Tuesday into many Chinese companies violating recent labor laws, it's now known through Apple's 2009 responsibility progress report that 45 of the 83 factories that built iPhones and iPods in 2008 weren't paying valid overtime rates for those workers that qualified, while 23 of these weren't even paying some of their workers China's minimum wage.

A deeper look at Apple's findings found that about 25 of the 83 also discriminated to some degree against people based on ethnicity, biological issues like disabilities, or political leanings. 22 didn't meet environmental standards, while almost exactly a fifth also had problems with on-site living conditions and safety.

In a few extreme cases, seven factories had been caught having at least at one time hired underage workers, though were weren't more than 25 people involved. Some workers at six factories also had to enter debt to a recruitment agency just to start work and were effectively forced to work to pay off their recruiters.

When contacted by Bloomberg, Apple maintained that it has regularly audited all of its suppliers in China and otherwise since 2007 and that it has actively sought to improve conditions for those contracted and migrant workers most likely to be hurt by labor abuses. The report itself mentions that Apple goes above and beyond inspections performed by other companies and talks to contractors and migrants themselves, also insisting on ways for employees to complain about conditions without fear of retaliation.

Still, bringing these outstanding issues to light underscores a number of labor-related problems in Asia that have dimmed Apple's often heavily polished corporate image up to and including this year. After an unofficial look into sub-par conditions at Foxconn factories producing iPods during 2006, Apple had little option but to conduct its first sweeping audit and clean up widespread problems at the Chinese firm. In Taiwan, where labor laws are more rigidly enforced, Apple has still had to contend with allegations of questionable pay cuts and retaliatory firings at Wintek, which supplies iPhone screens to this day.


http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/07/14/apples_image_may_be_tarnished_by_poor_factory_conditions.html

Workers push Apple to end iPhone supplier's labor abuse

Taiwan's National Federation of Independent Trade Unions (NFITU) and other area labor groups protested in front of Apple's Taipei offices on Thursday to have the American company change Wintek's mind on alleged but potentially controversial labor practices.

According to the Global Post, workers at the demonstration held MacBook Pros showing the word "responsibility" and detailed a litany of claimed abuses by Wintek. The company reportedly fired 600 workers in December without giving advance notice while simultaneously cutting the pay of remaining workers and forcing them to work unpaid overtime to fulfill "rush" orders -- though whether any of these were for Apple isn't stated.

Moreover, the company's operations in mainland China are characterized as more neglectful still. In Dongguan, Wintek is accused both of impromptu pay cuts like those at its Taiwanese headquarters as well as of of maintaining poor working conditions and retaliating against those who complain. It illegally dismissed 19 employees after they protested circumstances just a month ago, the unions claim. Many at the Taipei protest wore masks to prevent being identified and fired as punishment.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/05/21/workers_push_apple_to_end_iphone_suppliers_labor_abuse.html

[demosincebirth]

1. Thats nothing new in China.

[DainBramaged]

8. It does not surprise me that this thread is getting no attention from DU

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Just one more reason to stay away from their utter shit products.

[notadmblnd]

3. And us citizens are expected by corporate America to compete with

these types of practices?

[Double T]

4. APPLE loves human slavery as much as any other US corporation.

The American people support companies such as APPLE; by extension supporting slavery.

[DainBramaged]

6. Apple can do no wrong donchaknow?

Screw where it's made, is it on sale?

:sarcasm:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. My nephew works for Apple ---

and spends half his time in those Chinese manufacturing factories. The workers are primarily young men, who live in these "cities" built around the factories, stay in mass dormatories, work long days 6-7 days a week, and range in age from 15-22. The conditions remind me of the old farms with their "company store" attitudes -- you live, work, and breath the factory until you make enough money to leave. Billy says they stay with the jobs for 3-4 years and then get out of Dodge the first chance they get. The Apple factories are like the McDonald's work experience of China - with shittier conditions and pay.

[Odin2005]

5. The Mac fanboys will be on your case and calling you evil in 3... 2... 1...

[DainBramaged]

7. An Apple a day pays the Chinese no wage........

[Orsino]

10. Can't be. I see nothing about this in Apple commercials. n/t

[DainBramaged]

11. Notice how few people on DU want to discuss this?

But if this was about Dell or HP, there would be dozens of replies.


The bias of DU is showing.