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Chinese Labor Group Alleges Poor Working Conditions at Apple Supplier Pegatron
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, a Chinese worker’s rights group has brought forth allegations of poor working conditions at Pegatron, a primary supplier to Apple and longtime electronics manufacturing company. Specifically, the worker group accuses that the company has made numerous safety and workplace violations, including the unethical holding of worker pay and identification cards, as well as poor living conditions within the factory including tight living quarters and packed cafeterias.
Apple has replied to the allegations, stating the following:
Apple is committed to providing safe and fair working conditions throughout our supply chain. We lead the industry with far-reaching and specialized audits, the most transparent reporting and educational programs that enrich the lives of workers who make our products. Apple is the first and only technology company to be admitted to the Fair Labor Association, and we are dedicated to protecting every worker in our supply chain.Apple also confirmed that various labor brokers affiliated with Pegatron were withholding ID cards, and further committed to investigating claims against the company. Analysts estimate that Pegatron’s Pudong district factory now produces one-third of the world’s iPhone and iPads, with the company as a whole expanding its overall workforce from 50,000 workers in March to 70,000 presently.
As a part of our extensive Supplier Responsibility program, Apple has conducted 15 comprehensive audits at Pegatron facilities since 2007, covering more than 130,000 workers making Apple products including annual audits of Pegatron’s final assembly locations and surprise audits at both RiTeng and AVY within the past 18 months.
Additionally, we have closely tracked working hours at all of these facilities. Our most recent survey in June found that Pegatron employees making Apple products worked 46 hours per week on average. Excessive overtime is not in anyone’s best interest, and we work closely with our suppliers to prevent it. Apple surveys working hours for more than 1 million employees across our supply chain each month and we report the findings on our website.
The news comes after Apple announced last week that it was forming an academic advisory board for its Supplier Responsibility program, saying that it wanted to ensure “safe and ethical working conditions wherever its products are made.” Apple has also published Supplier Responsibility Progress Reports every year since 2007, tracking the ethical progress of its suppliers in order to bring transparency to its product manufacturing process.
[ 65 comments ]
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73 months ago
I wonder if Shockwave is behind this. He's always wanted to get rid of Megatron.
73 months ago
Apple can come up with any crappy excuses and long letters trying to justify themselves.
The truth is they don't give a damn! All they care about is the margins: as long as the Chinese floks work for $2 per hour, they are happy!
Its up to Pegatron & the Chinese government to fix their own mess and not rely on another country to do it.
73 months ago
It's good that this is being brought to public attention and that Apple are trying to do something about this. Let's hope other manufacturers such as HP and DELL do their own internal investigations in these factories.
Shame other computer companies can copy Apple's laptops, but not their ethics ;)
Yes, I'm aware Apple aren't perfect either, please take what I said with a pinch of sodium chloride
Shame other computer companies can copy Apple's laptops, but not their ethics ;)
Yes, I'm aware Apple aren't perfect either, please take what I said with a pinch of sodium chloride
73 months ago
Makes me appreciate the working conditions at my job just a little but more
73 months ago
When you continuously play off your suppliers and manufacturers to get the absolute lowest price above all else this is always going to happen.
Apple should build their own factories and show what can be achieved.
It's a shame that we no longer seem to have any large companies who believe in social responsibility and the welfare of their workers. It all seems to come down to squeezing the last penny of profit out of everything they do.
Typical new age anglo hypocritical theoretic.
Shaun they squeeze every penny so that you can buy a cheap TV, computer, Iphone, boiler, fridge, cooker and so that you may retain the quality of life you have in the UK. That includes all the welfare, NHS, subsidies, etc.
If you are a vegan and live off the land ,use no electronics or the NHS then I take back what I said!...and appologise
73 months ago
When you continuously play off your suppliers and manufacturers to get the absolute lowest price above all else this is always going to happen.
Apple should build their own factories and show what can be achieved.
It's a shame that we no longer seem to have any large companies who believe in social responsibility and the welfare of their workers. It all seems to come down to squeezing the last penny of profit out of everything they do.
Apple should build their own factories and show what can be achieved.
It's a shame that we no longer seem to have any large companies who believe in social responsibility and the welfare of their workers. It all seems to come down to squeezing the last penny of profit out of everything they do.
73 months ago
That's probably true for any for-profit business. No need to really single out Apple.
That is true but there is a difference.
Most businessmen do this:
Tim Cook on the other hand does this:
73 months ago
No I read it. I just question you leaving the comment in there when you have no idea of the veracity. "Disclaimer" or not.
Sort of like telling someone you don't meant to offend them when you tell them they are stupid or ugly :)
The words are already out there.
Oh. Well for what it's worth, I do get that a lot.
Not my comments being called out ... more people saying to me "No offense, but you are ugly" :(
Heh heh, sorry for jumping the gun on that one. ;) I'll try to be a little less edgy in future. :D
73 months ago
What exactly would you like me to do? At least I don't wring my hands and look the other way. As a shareholder I've made my views perfectly clear to Apple. But it takes media pressure to change things. I'm active in the human rights movement but that's off the topic.
Have you wrote to the Chinese government telling them your objections? Did you join any organizations for worker rights and made them aware of Chinese factory workers?
You should be making your views straight to the source. Why do you feel you must go through Apple to do this?
By saying only media pressure will make a difference is just avoiding the issue. If all these people so upset with Apple not doing anything about this, actually did something themselves, would probably have more impact.
The issue at hand is that by vigorously driving down manufacturing costs Apple is culpable in the inevitable poor working conditions and pay that Pegatron workers experience.
Where do you think driving down costs originate from? The very consumers who buy the merchandise. Thats If you can convince the general public higher prices are needed in order to pay these factories higher prices and better working conditions.
Am I willing to pay more? Yes if necessary but I think Apple could feed some of their profits back into these suppliers to give the workers better conditions and pay.
Profits are made on both sides. Its up to the employers to ensure its workers are being paid a fair wage. Apple could increase what they pay significantly, but nothing ensures that increase goes directly to its workers.
73 months ago
Dare I say it Apple could even share out a little of its wealth in bonus payments to the factory workers who work hard to make their products. I don't think that's unreasonable. And yes I would be willing to pay more if necessary.
But you don't know how much Apple is paying them. In fact it could actually be a great deal of money paid to them already.
And again, how do you know if that money would reach the lower level factory workers, even if Apple paid extra just to do that?!?
You always seem to avoid my questions you can't answer, which seems to be most of them.
I've heard a lot of people mention that this problem should be sorted by the Chinese government. What planet are you on? The Chinese government is a totalitarian and brutal dictatorship. The Chinese people don't get to elect their leaders like we do in the west. The Chinese government couldn't give a monkeys nuts about their own people.
Great, you feel the plight of the chinese worker, but you expect someone else to take care of this while you do nothing.
It's very lazy to rely on governments to change things. Consumers and big corporations have as much power to change things as any government.
It seems you are the lazy one not really doing anything about it but to condemn a company who actually helps to put food on their table.
Totally disagree. Obviously we live by a different moral code.
How ironic you used the words moral code. I don't try to force other people to do what I want, I do it myself.
The chinese worker does have power in deciding their fate. If they don't like the conditions or pay they can find another job with another company. They are notorious for high turn over rates.
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