China Labor Watch chastises factory making 'cheap' iPhone
Source: CNet
September 5, 2013
The China Labor Watch claims in a new report that a factory in Apple's supply chain is yet again mistreating workers.
In a report released Thursday (PDF), China Labor Watch alleges that a factory in Wuxi, China -- apparently producing the casing for Apple's "cheap" iPhone -- is committing a number of labor violations.
The Jabil Green Point factory in Wuxi ("Jabil Wuxi" is owned by Jabil Circuit, a U.S.-based company headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., which reported revenue of $17.2 billion in 2012. According to the nonprofit agency, the factory produces the rear plastic covers of Apple's cheap iPhone, believed to be announced in the coming weeks.
After conducting an undercover investigation, China Labor Watch alleges that Chinese workers have lost millions of dollars in unpaid overtime wages and are forced to complete over 100 hours of mandatory paid overtime a month on top of 11 hours of overtime which is unpaid. In addition, workers are made to stand for over 11 hours every day with no rest outside 30-minute meal breaks -- which is three times over the Chinese legal limit.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57601449-37/china-labor-watch-chastises-factory-making-cheap-iphone/
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)Right?
ChromeFoundry
(3,270 posts)At this close to a major fanboi release day... they should just let this slide. I mean, what if there are not enough phones available on the very first day!?!? Mass hysteria... cats living with dogs... good god!
Beware the throngs of apple fanboys, with their low-cut v-necks and skinny cut-off trouser shorts. They are legion, and they are fueled by the self-satisfaction of paying three times what their hardware is worth.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)"We take any concerns about our suppliers very seriously, and our team of experts is on-site at Jabil Wuxi to look into new claims about conditions there," Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said in a comment provided to AllThingsD.
Apple revealed that it has conducted 14 "comprehensive audits" of Jabil in the last five years, and three of those in the past 36 months. Jabil's facility in Wuxi, China, is said to have performed above the company's 92 percent average compliance rate for a 60-hour per work week limit.
"An audit conducted earlier this year did find that some employees had worked more than six consecutive days without a day of rest, and Jabil has been working with our team to better manage overtime," the company said.
The comments from Apple were made in response to a report issued earlier Thursday by watchdog group China Labor Watch. It claimed that workers at the factory have over 100 hours of monthly mandatory overtime, which would be three times the legal limit.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/09/05/apple-already-has-experts-on-site-in-china-investigating-latest-claims-of-labor-violations
quakerboy
(13,920 posts)Of course Apple is going to say move along, nothing to see here. So is any one of the major multinationals with PR issues and the budget and platform to respond, whether they be worker abuse, environmental disaster, what have you. And without regard to whether they have actually done anything effectual to fix the situation or not.
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)No wonder why the one plant had people jumping out the window committing suicide.