The organization hired to audit Apple’s factories in China released its report on Thursday stating it found “significant issues with working conditions at three factories in China operated by Apple’s major supplier Foxconn.”
The Fair Labor Association (FLA) said its nearly month-long investigation uncovered overworked employees, health and safety problems, problems with overtime compensation and issues with communication that led to unsafe working conditions. The FLA said it “secured” commitments with the factories and Apple to overturn these problems and will institute closer monitoring of factories to ensure safe and positive working conditions are upheld.
Earlier this week the activist group SumOfUs said it heard the report would be released this week and preemptively contested any promises Apple might make regarding changing its practices, saying hiring the FLA was simply a publicity move by Apple.
Spokespeople from Apple did not return our request for comment.
The FLA said in a release that it issued 35,000 anonymous surveys to allow factory employes to voice their concerns. Its look into factory conditions showed that the factories’ workers exceed the FLA’s weekly hours limit of 60 hours per week, as well as China’s legal limit of 40 hours per week, plus 36 overtime per month.
“During peak production periods, the average number of hours worked per week exceeded 60 hours per worker,” the FLA’s report noted. “There were periods in which some employees worked more than seven days in a row without the required 24 hours off.”
More than half of workers said the compensation didn’t meet their basic needs. “FLA will conduct a cost of living study in Shenzhen and Chengdu to assist Foxconn in determining whether worker salaries meet FLA requirements for basic needs, as well as discretionary income,” the report states.
SumOfUS had said it expected the FLA’s report to be critical of Apple. Apple would make a promise to change, but that it wouldn’t uphold that promise, it said.
Nike and other clothing retailers hired the FLA to audit its overseas factories after controversy about garment workers’ conditions overtook the media in the ’90s and early 00′s. Apple said it’s the first tech company to voluntarily hire a fair labor auditor.
What do you think about the FLA’s recent report about factories in China? Tell us in the comments.
Image courtesy of Flickr, Adam Fagen.
Source: Mashable
0 comments:
Post a Comment