Apple vows to investigate labor violations alleged in China Labor Watch report

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple on Monday issued a statement promising to look into claims that its supplier Pegatron has been requiring employees to work excessive hours without adequate compensation.

Audit
Worker prepares iPhone for final assembly. | Source: Apple Supplier Responsibility Report


In a response provided to The Wall Street Journal, Apple said it has been working closely for months with China Labor Watch, the group that issued the report on Pegatron. The group recently informed Apple that workers' ID cards were being withheld, which prompted the company to conduct an audit and confirm the issue, before putting a stop to Pegatron's practices.

The latest report from China Labor Watch alleges that Pegatron has been violating Chinese regulations related to workplace safety, withholding of worker pay, and sub-par living conditions. Apple has said the claims are new to the company, and they will be investigated "immediately."

"Our audit teams will return to Pegatron, RiTeng and AVY for special inspections this week," Apple's statement reads. "If our audits find that workers have been underpaid or denied compensation for any time they've worked, we will require that Pegatron reimburse them in full."

Apple noted that it has conducted 15 "comprehensive audits" of Pegatron facilities since 2007. Those have covered more than 130,000 workers.

The most recent survey conducted by Apple in June found that Pegatron employees work an average of 46 hours per week. Pegatron is just one company in Apple's massive supply chain, which comprises more than a million total employees.

Criticism of Apple's supply chain is not new, but in the past most of the scrutiny has been aimed at the company's primary supply partner, Foxconn. But this year Apple began looking to diversify its supply chain, giving a greater presence to Pegatron.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Can some kind shill please point me to an article that states that Samsung is doing this as well?

    TIA
  • Reply 2 of 16
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    philboogie wrote: »
    Can some kind shill please point me to an article that states that Samsung is doing this as well?

    TIA

    If you hadn't asked for a shill to point you in the right direction I might have been able to help you.:D
  • Reply 3 of 16


    Doesn't Microsoft also use Pegatron to manufacture (or is that manufactured?) the Surface? Not sure if it was only the RT or the newer "full" version.

  • Reply 4 of 16
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    gatorguy wrote: »
    philboogie wrote: »
    Can some kind shill please point me to an article that states that Samsung is doing this as well?

    TIA

    If you hadn't asked for a shill to point you in the right direction I might have been able to help you.:D

    Ah, in that case: good to read you're not a shill. But there must be some, here.
  • Reply 5 of 16
    bigmac2bigmac2 Posts: 639member


    Good thing Apple makes business with all big chinese supplier, Apple is becoming the champion of policing labor in china.  I wonder why we never heard about china official or any other american corps who makes business with those supplier, what a big hypocrisy News media, they always finger pointing Apple as the sole and only responsible of the whole labor crisis in china, because we all know that Apple in the headline always sales. 

  • Reply 6 of 16
    bigmac2 wrote: »
    Good thing Apple makes business with all big chinese manufacturer, Apple is becoming the champion of policing labor in china.  I wonder why we never heard about china official or any other american corps who makes business with those manufacturer, what a big hypocrisy News media, they always finger pointing Apple as the sole and only responsible of the whole labor crisis in china, because we all know that Apple in the headline always sales. 

    Umm can you say that again in English...or was that just racist irony?
  • Reply 7 of 16
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    philboogie wrote: »
    Ah, in that case: good to read you're not a shill. But there must be some, here.

    :)
    There is a report from the same trade group taking Samsung to task. Published a little over a year ago I think. Happy to offer it up if you can't find it yourself.


    Edit: I'll be a nice guy and post the link for you anyway.
    http://chinalaborwatch.org/pro/proshow-177.html
  • Reply 8 of 16
    bigmac2bigmac2 Posts: 639member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fnordprefect View Post





    Umm can you say that again in English...or was that just racist irony?


     


    It was irony regarding common news medias who always giggle to put Apple name in their headline for sensationalism. I failed to see any racist sarcasm I my previous post 

  • Reply 9 of 16
    georgeip5georgeip5 Posts: 225member
    Umm....I heard the iPhone 5S was said to come in three colors on of them gold. Isn't that iPhone gold?
  • Reply 10 of 16
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    georgeip5 wrote: »
    Umm....I heard the iPhone 5S was said to come in three colors on of them gold. Isn't that iPhone gold?

    Yeah, that was a lie. Get used to those.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member


    Here are few headlines from MacSurfer today...


     


    "Apple under fire as Chinese partner Pegatron is dubbed 'worse than Foxconn'"


     


    "Apple under fire again for supplier worker abuses from China Labor Watch"


     


    "Chinese Labor Group Alleges Poor Working Conditions at Apple Supplier Pegatron"


     


    "Group accuses Apple supplier of labor abuses"


     


    "Apple supplier accused of labour violations"


     


    "Low-cost iPhone named in China Labor Watch report"


     


    "Apple China supplier imposes overtime, hires minors: group"


     


    "Labor Rights Group Accuses iPhone Maker of Abuses"


     


    "Apple's 'plastic' iPhone mini confirmed in shocking Pegatron labor Report"


     


    Any questions as to whether Apple is specifically targeted by the media?

  • Reply 12 of 16
    Good to know China is interested in human rights
  • Reply 13 of 16
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    News today that Samsung is being sued over alleged workforce violations in it's Brazil assembly plants (In Portugese, but Chrome will translate if you wish)
    http://reporterbrasil.org.br/2013/08/samsung-e-processada-em-r-250-milhoes-por-superexploracao/

    The Ministry of labor cites health risks and wants $250M ( I assume Brazilian) as a penalty
  • Reply 15 of 16
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    philboogie wrote: »
    For those who prefer Bing; they translate faster, and possibly better; I don't have Crome installed.

    Hmm, faster than a second to translate? That's how long it took for Chrome to translate the page. I'll try Bing too.

    EDIT: Nope, BING was absolutely not faster.
  • Reply 16 of 16
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    gatorguy wrote: »
    philboogie wrote: »
    For those who prefer Bing; they translate faster, and possibly better; I don't have Crome installed.

    Hmm, faster than a second to translate? That's how long it took for Chrome to translate the page. I'll try Bing too.

    EDIT: Nope, BING was absolutely not faster.

    Could be my Safari extensions; I have none installed for Bing, but a few for the Google.com domain.
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