Apple reports 97% of 800K supply chain laborers do not work excessive hours

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
In a brief update to its Supplier Responsibility webpage, Apple quietly announced it is now tracking over 800,000 workers at supply chain factories in China, and noted 97 percent of those employees have 60-hour work weeks as mandated by that country's laws.

The 800,000 number, first spotted by The Next Web, is a substantial increase from the 500,000 tracked workers reported in January, and while the percentage of those working excessive hours has decreased over the intervening months, there has been no change in compliance since July.

Work Hour Tracking
Source: Apple


In January, over 70,000 supply chain employees were working over 60 hours a week, though the number dropped precipitously since then, possibly as a result Apple's partnership with the Fair Labor Association in February. By extrapolating the latest data, as of August there were still over 24,000 Chinese laborers working what Apple considers excessive hours, however compliance with labor rules appears to be slowly rising.

Apple's Chinese manufacturing partners, more specifically Foxconn, became the target of a mass media firestorm (1, 2) regarding labor abuse allegations sparked by a story from monologuist Mike Daisey which aired on NPR. The tale was found to be a fabrication and Daisey was forced to apologize, prompting high-profile publications to issue retractions.

Despite the exaggerated claims, Apple and Foxconn pushed hard to raise working standards, a process that continues to yield positive results.

Most recently, Foxconn was in the news again as a 2,000-person riot shut down the company's Taiyuan factory, the plant reportedly responsible for processing the iPhone 5's backplates.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Spin this Apple haters. Not to mention where the Android crap is made ... what are they doing about labor standards?
  • Reply 2 of 49
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Spin this Apple haters. Not to mention where the Android crap is made ... what are they doing about labor standards?

    Okay, I'll take shot.

    The authors of this study are on the take from Apple just like the judge and jury were on the take in the Samsung trial. Apple is the most evil corporation in the history of the world but they pay everybody off so they look good.

    How's that for some hater spin?
  • Reply 3 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member


    I have a simple question for all of the haters, liars and propagandists who like to use words like "slave labor" in their posts.


     


    Hey ignorant asshats, where do you think that your devices are made?

  • Reply 4 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post





    Okay, I'll take shot.

    The authors of this study are on the take from Apple just like the judge and jury were on the take in the Samsung trial. Apple is the most evil corporation in the history of the world but they pay everybody off so they look good.

    How's that for some hater spin?


     


     


    Edit:


     


    Apologies to lkrupp. I missed the obvious sarcasm here.  

  • Reply 5 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Quadra 610 View Post


    You just sound crazy.



     


    Your sarcasm detection meter needs a bit of tweaking. That's no Fandroid, he's imitating one, and if it sounds crazy, that's because Fandroids are batshit crazy.

  • Reply 6 of 49


    Sure. Make it 120 hours a week by law and 100% will comply easily.


     


    Mandated? Here comes communism twisted into "capitalism".


     


    I was born and lived in such country few decades ago... so before pissing me off by talking about something you do not have clue, but you are Apple pundit think twice. Many of us has more life experience than most eloquent English speakers on the subject.


     


    We called this demagogy. Try this if you do not know this word coming from Greek:


    http://www.thefreedictionary.com/demagogy

  • Reply 7 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


     


    Your sarcasm detection meter needs a bit of tweaking. That's no Fandroid, he's imitating one, and if it sounds crazy, that's because Fandroids are batshit crazy.



     


     


    Yeah, you're right. I'm confusing lkrupp with a "lilo777" or whatever.  Geez . . .   smh


     


    I'll edit my post, with apologies to lkrupp.   

  • Reply 8 of 49
    Wow, those 3% must be really feisty!
  • Reply 9 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    Not to mention where the Android crap is made ... what are they doing about labor standards?


    The beauty of it is, we really have no clue. Since most people appear not to care.


     


    It speaks to the utter shallowness and hypocrisy of these lowlifes: all they want is to sell more newspapers and magazines/get more clicks/get more ads using Apple as the foil and/or spend time spewing hate-filled crap about the company while simultaneously cynically disregarding the consequences of their own consumption behaviors.

  • Reply 10 of 49
    I don't care what the laws are... 60 hours a week is excessive, even if the law said 90 hours a week was required. just because something is a "law" doesn't mean its right.
  • Reply 11 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by doh123 View Post



    I don't care what the laws are... 60 hours a week is excessive, even if the law said 90 hours a week was required. just because something is a "law" doesn't mean its right.


    Wow. 


     


    Do you live in France?

  • Reply 12 of 49
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    doh123 wrote: »
    I don't care what the laws are... 60 hours a week is excessive, even if the law said 90 hours a week was required. just because something is a "law" doesn't mean its right.

    60hrs a week is excessive? Tell that to my US company and the countless of other US companies that my friends / family work at. That's the norm here!
  • Reply 13 of 49
    And that 3% does does work excessive hours is responsible for 65% of production! :)
  • Reply 14 of 49
    apple ][ wrote: »
    I have a simple question for all of the haters, liars and propagandists who like to use words like "slave labor" in their posts.

    Hey ignorant asshats, where do you think that your devices are made?

    Obviously, in slave labor camps!
  • Reply 15 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post





    Obviously, in slave labor camps!


     


    A 60 hour per week slave labor camp? image

  • Reply 16 of 49
    Dude most workers on the Apple lines main complaints are about hours. That is not being allowed to work enough of them. There is no need to force anybody to work long hours there are plenty of volunteers.

    PS most American retailers require their managers to work a minimum of 60 hrs a week and of course they pay them for 40.
  • Reply 17 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by doh123 View Post



    I don't care what the laws are... 60 hours a week is excessive, even if the law said 90 hours a week was required. just because something is a "law" doesn't mean its right.


    The Foxconn workers were really upset when the management cut them back to 60 hours. They wanted to work 80-90 so they could make more money and go back to their village sooner. 

  • Reply 18 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I have a simple question for all of the haters, liars and propagandists who like to use words like "slave labor" in their posts.


     


    Hey ignorant asshats, where do you think that your devices are made?



     


    Samsung has been reported as letting their vendors do about anything they want as far as OT, child labor, etc.

  • Reply 19 of 49
    sflocal wrote: »
    60hrs a week is excessive? Tell that to my US company and the countless of other US companies that my friends / family work at. That's the norm here!


    OK. It's just not healthy. The US and China (etc.) need to do something about this work/life balance thing. Across the European Union there has been, for many years, a 'working time directive' (part of health and safety criminal law) that requires all employees to work no more than 48 hours per week (on average over a 17 week rolling period) and employers are committing a criminal act to breach this. Unless the company forbids employees (by policy) from exempting themselves, the 'working time directive' does allow an employee to exempt themselves as a personal choice from this 48 hour limit but most do not unless they work for some companies that have a 'remarkable ability' to acquire such sign off of their rights.

    Ultimately, will your family (or your employer!) thank you for being so committed that you gave so much of your life to your employer? Life is short and can be shorter than you think it is going to be; make the most of it. And I speak as someone who has been very committed to work but who has never exceeded the 48 hour limit (even with bursts of late working).
  • Reply 20 of 49
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Sunbow View Post





    OK. It's just not healthy. The US and China (etc.) need to do something about this work/life balance thing. Across the European Union there has been, for many years, a 'working time directive' (part of health and safety criminal law) that requires all employees to work no more than 48 hours per week (on average over a 17 week rolling period) and employers are committing a criminal act to breach this. Unless the company forbids employees (by policy) from exempting themselves, the 'working time directive' does allow an employee to exempt themselves as a personal choice from this 48 hour limit but most do not unless they work for some companies that have a 'remarkable ability' to acquire such sign off of their rights.

    Ultimately, will your family (or your employer!) thank you for being so committed that you gave so much of your life to your employer? Life is short and can be shorter than you think it is going to be; make the most of it. And I speak as someone who has been very committed to work but who has never exceeded the 48 hour limit (even with bursts of late working).




    Sure, in an ideal world.  It's not an ideal world.  There are too many variables to iron out.  In the US where unemployment is rampant, many people do work their backsides off simply because they know how ugly it is to get another job, or they know if they don't "put out", their are plenty of other applicants that would gladly take that job.  It sucks, but that's how it is.



    I lived in Germany for about 5 years and I loved how businesses essentially shut down at 5-6pm.  It's all personal, and family time afterwards.  That was great. That kind of relaxed schedule plus all the stronger labor laws did come at a price thought ihmo regarding socialism and stuff, but that's for another thread.

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