No intentional underage labor found in 229 audits of Apple's overseas suppliers
Apple on Friday released its annual supplier responsibility report, and revealed that there were fewer cases of underage labor at its overseas partners in 2011, with no intentional underage hirings.
The number of instances discovered at Apple's suppliers were greatly improved in 2011, even as Apple significantly ramped up its number of audits. In all, 229 audits were conducted throughout the supply chain in 2011, an 80 percent increase from 2010.
Those audits discovered six active and 13 historical cases of underage labor at five facilities. In each case, Apple said, the facility had insufficient controls to verify the worker's age, or to detect false documentation.
In those cases, Apple required that the suppliers support the young workers' return to school. The iPhone maker also worked with suppliers to improve their management systems, like recruitment practices and age verification procedures, to prevent future instances of underage labor.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy for underage labor, and we believe our system is the toughest in the electronics industry," Apple said in highlights from the report. "In 2011, we broadened our age verification program and saw dramatic improvements in hiring practices by our suppliers. Cases of underage labor were down significantly, and our audits found no underage workers at our final assembly suppliers."
For comparison, last year's annual report found 49 underage workers at 9 facilities overseas. One of the facilities was responsible for most of the child labor instances, with 42 underage workers.
Upon discovering those violations in 2010, Apple required the supplier to support the workers' return to school. It also terminated business with the offending facility.
The latest 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report, which is now available for download from Apple, includes the details of more than 100 first-time audits.
"We continue to expand our program to reach deeper into our supply base, and this year we added more detailed and specialized audits that focus on safety and the environment," Apple's summary reads.
The audits included detailed reviews at 14 facilities conducted by third-party environmental engineering experts. Those environmental were in addition to the standard audits Apple has conducted for years now.
Apple also noted that the company continues to offer education opportunities at suppliers' facilities free of charge. More than 60,000 workers have taken advantage of this and enrolled in classes.
Comments
I think the key word in the title of this article is "intentional". Like it's ok then right?
? Uh, no. The implication there is that if any was found, it wasn't on purpose and was summarily dealt with.
? Uh, no. The implication there is that if any was found, it wasn't on purpose and was summarily dealt with.
same lines with force prostitution
I'd be more concerned with kids under the age of 14.
Heck, farm kids in our countries used to be pulled out of school in the fall just a few decades ago (if it's still not happening), to help with the harvest.
I was basically free labour for my Uncle when was a preteen. It was bloody hard work for a 8-11 year old I can tell you, and very long days too. For no pay, except room and board.
Frankly I thought the number would be much higher. I can imagine lots of 15-16 year olds without credentials applying for jobs.
Even in China, employees can quit and work somewhere else, the experience and talent the individual has dictates his salary and the speed at which he can find a job. Some chinese workers get paid very well, because the talent is hard to find.
However, this is unlike the WalMart sweatshops which require few talented and scores of mindless work on products that require little QC, Foxconn's workers are of a different class from the WalMart workforce.
In the good ole US of A - child labor laws and many other reforms were an offshoot of the prohibition movement. The women who organized that contributed quite a bit towards standards of living in this country - even if Prohibition itself was ill fate and likely was responsible for many a crime syndicate getting their start.
I was basically free labour for my Uncle when was a preteen. It was bloody hard work for a 8-11 year old I can tell you, and very long days too. For no pay, except room and board.
My brother drove the farm tractor at 12 and I'm pretty sure he lugged around bails of hay (or straw). My mom drove the wheat truck to collect wheat from the combine. Farming was and still is a family affair. I was too young at the time, being just 6 or 7.
The industrialized nations have been through it before.
In fact our ancestors probably had it tougher. The factories back then were not producing electronic components in clean conditions, but operating coal-fired steam engines and such.
China is trying to make up for 100 years of industrialization in the West. Labor abuse is bound to come up on that road. The industrialized nations have been through it before. Really, though, the Chinese government should enforce these policies, not make it te responsibility of foreign firms like Apple. I get the impression that child labor is a bigger deal to the West than it is to the Chinese. Is that the case?
While employee abuse is tragic, this is what happens when you have "less government". Republicans in the U.S. scream at the top of their lungs for this - to let the free market ride and fall where it may. I tend to agree to a point. You can't leave it up to the companies, who only want to make a profit. Even the U.S. government didn't do much at first; It was the employees themselves who stood up and began forming unions and then new laws were passed to make sure employers recognized employees rights to organize. It's unfortunate that those unions eventually become just as corrupt and greedy and the corporations - driving manufacturers to other countries where unions aren't recognized and labor costs can be very low. This is where companies like Apple need to step up and make sure their supplier is treating their workers fairly. Should it be Apple's responsibility? I believe it should. They have a moral obligation to make sure the parts used in their products are only made of sweat, not blood, sweat, and tears.
Consumers also have the same responsibilities, but most would rather pass the blame onto the companies (or governments).
I wonder how many audits Dell, Samsung, HP, and HTC have done?
Should matter but it doesn't. Apple is the top dog now in the technology sector. The top dog always gets put under a microscope. Because of its popularity, its size, its presence in the minds of the public, its brand recognition, Apple will be the one dragged through the streets and lynched when a political point needs to be made. Comes with the territory. It shows how important Apple is these days.
Heck, farm kids in our countries used to be pulled out of school in the fall just a few decades ago (if it's still not happening), to help with the harvest.
I was basically free labour for my Uncle when was a preteen. It was bloody hard work for a 8-11 year old I can tell you, and very long days too. For no pay, except room and board.
My uncles told me how my grandfather sent them to work in other farmer's fields when they were teenagers. The neighboring farmer paid my grandfather directly for the labor. My uncles never saw a dime of it.
I think the key word in the title of this article is "intentional". Like it's ok then right?
Intentional, as in wrong doing by the company. If you forge documents to get a job as a minor then that isn't the company's fault unless they find out and do nothing about it. At that point that would be intentional and make the company liable.
I wonder how many audits Dell, Samsung, HP, and HTC have done?
Throw in Microsoft in there too. Still, how many articles about that foxconn xbox plant protest had Microsoft in the headlines. i couldn't find any. And i'm talking headlines.