Apple's pressure on Foxconn forces improved working conditions in China

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2014
After intense scrutiny of its factory working conditions, Foxconn ??which builds most of Apple's products ? has made significant changes for its workers in China.

The improvements made by Foxconn were highlighted in a story published this week by The New York Times. Authors Keith Bradsher and Charles Duhigg revealed that a high-ranking official from Apple held a "critical meeting" with Foxconn's top executives in March to discuss working conditions in the company's Chinese factories.

As a result of those meetings, Foxconn promised to implement a number of "wide-ranging reforms," including reducing workers' hours and significantly boosting wages. Other minor changes focused on employee safety and comfort: protective foam on low ceilings in stairwells, automatic shut-off features on machines, and cushioned seats for assembly line workers.





The Times also revealed that Apple has tripled its social responsibility staff in the last year. The iPhone maker has also asked its competitors to "help curb excessive overtime in China and has reached out to advocacy groups it once rebuffed."

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook indicated earlier this year at the D10 conference that he plans to open up publicly about labor issues in an effort to be a market leader in accountability. Cook also said Apple had already placed "a ton of effort" into reducing overtime for Foxconn workers.

This year, for the first time ever, Apple began publishing a list of its component suppliers. Apple also became the first technology company to partner with the Fair Labor Association for independent audits of its partners' overseas factories. The company also conducts its own annual audit of hundreds of suppliers.

Foxconn


Companies such as Apple have come under fire for their reliance on Chinese labor for the assembly of popular electronic devices. Critics have contended that wages are too low, and have pointed to employee suicides as evidence of poor working conditions.

Cook himself visited a Foxconn factory in March, around the same time that the Times revealed that an unnamed high-ranking official from Apple had discussions with Foxconn executives.

The report did note that even with Apple's push for reform at Foxconn, there are still issues with illegal overtime and worker safety.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    winterwinter Posts: 1,238member
    That's great for the workers and all though if it weren't for the flack Apple was getting, it wouldn't really matter suffice to say.
  • Reply 2 of 16


    Apple's the only company improving anything without being told to. And Apple is the only company being blamed for poor conditions in a country over which they have zero real control whatsoever.


     


    Screw that.

  • Reply 3 of 16
    Where's the NYT articles exposing all of the other companies using FoxConn or other manufacturers with similar or worse working conditions? Drives me crazy when they pick one company to be their whipping boy and give everyone else a free ride. Lazy and specious journalism. Between them and that ass making up crap for his theater act, it's enough to give one a headache.

    Considering how quiet Apple can be about things they consider to be internal matters, I wonder how many reforms they may have been trying to get into place before all of the furor hit? Maybe none, who knows. All I see is a company that is actually doing something and still getting pasted in the media. I guess they can console themselves that when you're in the lead, you're the easiest target.
  • Reply 4 of 16

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dave MacLachlan View Post



    Where's the NYT articles exposing all of the other companies using FoxConn or other manufacturers with similar or worse working conditions? Drives me crazy when they pick one company to be their whipping boy and give everyone else a free ride. Lazy and specious journalism. Between them and that ass making up crap for his theater act, it's enough to give one a headache.

    Considering how quiet Apple can be about things they consider to be internal matters, I wonder how many reforms they may have been trying to get into place before all of the furor hit? Maybe none, who knows. All I see is a company that is actually doing something and still getting pasted in the media. I guess they can console themselves that when you're in the lead, you're the easiest target.


     


    They* haven't been able to force the stock price below $500 and it pisses them off.


    (*you know who "they" is and if you don't then make something up)

  • Reply 5 of 16
    pokepoke Posts: 506member


    I note the NYT is now taking credit for pushing Apple to make the reforms, even though its articles were published after Apple had already instigated everything they're now praising them for.

  • Reply 6 of 16

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Apple's the only company improving anything without being told to. And Apple is the only company being blamed for poor conditions in a country over which they have zero real control whatsoever.


     


    Screw that.



     


    "If Steve were still alive..."


     


    ;)

  • Reply 7 of 16
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member


    Now they will all be forced to take showers.

  • Reply 8 of 16
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Now hiring "Apple Social Responsibility Group." Ideal applicant will have minimum 3 year arts degree and no work experience. High level of self-righteous anger a must. Long nose for poking in to other people's business an asset. Greenpeace bumper sticker looked upon favorably.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member


    Time for the NYT to move on, how about this, is this an Apple problem too?


     


    Bunch of hypocrites.

  • Reply 10 of 16
    winterwinter Posts: 1,238member
    Apple's the only company improving anything without being told to. And Apple is the only company being blamed for poor conditions in a country over which they have zero real control whatsoever.

    Screw that.

    Indeed, both good points. With popularity comes a downside.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member


    Apple has probably done more to better average working conditions in China than the Chinese gvt and every single other company combined. Yet, it's towards Apple that all the fingers are pointed when it comes to China by the brainless, ignorant hypocrites, anti-Apple fanatics, or hit-whore media. The global reality is that shit is manufactured in China, for a myriad of reasons. Apple can't create an alternate reality where this isn't the case, but they can do what they can to improve the current reality, which is exactly what they've been doing. 

  • Reply 12 of 16


    Looks like HP is ahead of Apple in terms of conditions for it's factory workers. Apple is doing a good job, but it would be nice to see them get Foxconn to operate its factories more like that Quanta factory building HP computers.

  • Reply 13 of 16
    hill60 wrote: »

    Thanks for that link. The comments will crack you up, too.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    kr00kr00 Posts: 99member
    Where's the NYT articles exposing all of the other companies using FoxConn or other manufacturers with similar or worse working conditions? Drives me crazy when they pick one company to be their whipping boy and give everyone else a free ride. Lazy and specious journalism. Between them and that ass making up crap for his theater act, it's enough to give one a headache.
    Considering how quiet Apple can be about things they consider to be internal matters, I wonder how many reforms they may have been trying to get into place before all of the furor hit? Maybe none, who knows. All I see is a company that is actually doing something and still getting pasted in the media. I guess they can console themselves that when you're in the lead, you're the easiest target.

    http://www.kernelmag.com/features/report/3028/samsung-power-corruption-and-lies/
  • Reply 15 of 16
    Cool. Too bad it's not the NYT. :/
  • Reply 16 of 16
    I think Apple is bribing independent companies to give it a favorable image when it comes to safety. Yes, Apple makes good tech, but have you ever considered the labor and factories that made it? Also at least 13 Foxconn employees have gotten rare blood cancers that were allegedly related to chemicals used in the production of Apple devices.
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