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Building Apple computers
flywallyfly
Posts: 1,453
Child labour, sweatshops, unsafe conditions, toxic poisoning, excessive work hours. Guess I wont be buying anymore Apple products.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/a ... abour.html
At least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories which supply Apple.
The company did not name the offending factories, or say where they were based, but the majority of its goods are assembled in China.
Apple said the child workers are now no longer being used, or are no longer underage. "In each of the three facilities, we required a review of all employment records for the year as well as a complete analysis of the hiring process to clarify how underage people had been able to gain employment," Apple said, in an annual report on its suppliers.
Apple has been repeatedly criticised for using factories that abuse workers and where conditions are poor. Last week, it emerged that 62 workers at a factory that manufactures products for Apple and Nokia had been poisoned by n-hexane, a toxic chemical that can cause muscular degeneration and blur eyesight. Apple has not commented on the problems at the plant, which is run by Wintek, in the Chinese city of Suzhou.
A spokesman for Wintek said that "almost all" of the affected workers were back at work, but that some remained in hospital. Wintek said n-hexane was commonly used in the technology industry, and that problems had arisen because some areas of the factory were not ventilated properly.
Last year, an employee at Foxconn, the Taiwanese company that is one of Apple's biggest suppliers, committed suicide after being accused of stealing a prototype for the iPhone.
Sun Danyong, 25, was a university graduate working in the logistics department when the prototype went missing. An investigation revealed that the factory's security staff had beaten him, and he subsequently jumped to his death from the 12th floor of his apartment building.
Foxconn runs a number of super-factories in the south of China, some of which employ as many as 300,000 workers and form self-contained cities, complete with banks, post offices and basketball courts.
It has been accused, however, of treating its employees extremely harshly. China Labor Watch, a New York-based NGO, accused Foxconn of having an "inhumane and militant" management, which neglects basic human rights. Foxconn's management were not available for comment.
In its report, Apple revealed the sweatshop conditions inside the factories it uses. Apple admitted that at least 55 of the 102 factories that produce its goods were ignoring Apple's rule that staff cannot work more than 60 hours a week.
The technology company's own guidelines are already in breach of China's widely-ignored labour law, which sets out a maximum 49-hour week for workers.
Apple also said that one of its factories had repeatedly falsified its records in order to conceal the fact that it was using child labour and working its staff endlessly.
"When we investigated, we uncovered records and conducted worker interviews that revealed excessive working hours and seven days of continuous work," Apple said, adding that it had terminated all contracts with the factory.
Only 65 per cent of the factories were paying their staff the correct wages and benefits, and Apple found 24 factories where workers had not even been paid China's minimum wage of around 800 yuan (Pounds76) a month.
Meanwhile, only 61 per cent of Apple's suppliers were following regulations to prevent injuries in the workplace and a mere 57 per cent had the correct environmental permits to operate.
The high environmental cost of Apple's products was revealed when three factories were discovered to be shipping hazardous waste to unqualified disposal companies.
Apple said it had required the factories to "perform immediate inspections of their wastewater discharge systems" and hire an independent environmental consultant to prevent future violations.
However, Apple has not stopped using the factories.
In 2008, Apple found that a total of 25 child workers had been employed to build iPods, iPhones and its range of computers.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/a ... abour.html
At least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories which supply Apple.
The company did not name the offending factories, or say where they were based, but the majority of its goods are assembled in China.
Apple said the child workers are now no longer being used, or are no longer underage. "In each of the three facilities, we required a review of all employment records for the year as well as a complete analysis of the hiring process to clarify how underage people had been able to gain employment," Apple said, in an annual report on its suppliers.
Apple has been repeatedly criticised for using factories that abuse workers and where conditions are poor. Last week, it emerged that 62 workers at a factory that manufactures products for Apple and Nokia had been poisoned by n-hexane, a toxic chemical that can cause muscular degeneration and blur eyesight. Apple has not commented on the problems at the plant, which is run by Wintek, in the Chinese city of Suzhou.
A spokesman for Wintek said that "almost all" of the affected workers were back at work, but that some remained in hospital. Wintek said n-hexane was commonly used in the technology industry, and that problems had arisen because some areas of the factory were not ventilated properly.
Last year, an employee at Foxconn, the Taiwanese company that is one of Apple's biggest suppliers, committed suicide after being accused of stealing a prototype for the iPhone.
Sun Danyong, 25, was a university graduate working in the logistics department when the prototype went missing. An investigation revealed that the factory's security staff had beaten him, and he subsequently jumped to his death from the 12th floor of his apartment building.
Foxconn runs a number of super-factories in the south of China, some of which employ as many as 300,000 workers and form self-contained cities, complete with banks, post offices and basketball courts.
It has been accused, however, of treating its employees extremely harshly. China Labor Watch, a New York-based NGO, accused Foxconn of having an "inhumane and militant" management, which neglects basic human rights. Foxconn's management were not available for comment.
In its report, Apple revealed the sweatshop conditions inside the factories it uses. Apple admitted that at least 55 of the 102 factories that produce its goods were ignoring Apple's rule that staff cannot work more than 60 hours a week.
The technology company's own guidelines are already in breach of China's widely-ignored labour law, which sets out a maximum 49-hour week for workers.
Apple also said that one of its factories had repeatedly falsified its records in order to conceal the fact that it was using child labour and working its staff endlessly.
"When we investigated, we uncovered records and conducted worker interviews that revealed excessive working hours and seven days of continuous work," Apple said, adding that it had terminated all contracts with the factory.
Only 65 per cent of the factories were paying their staff the correct wages and benefits, and Apple found 24 factories where workers had not even been paid China's minimum wage of around 800 yuan (Pounds76) a month.
Meanwhile, only 61 per cent of Apple's suppliers were following regulations to prevent injuries in the workplace and a mere 57 per cent had the correct environmental permits to operate.
The high environmental cost of Apple's products was revealed when three factories were discovered to be shipping hazardous waste to unqualified disposal companies.
Apple said it had required the factories to "perform immediate inspections of their wastewater discharge systems" and hire an independent environmental consultant to prevent future violations.
However, Apple has not stopped using the factories.
In 2008, Apple found that a total of 25 child workers had been employed to build iPods, iPhones and its range of computers.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
I'm sure this is not an isolated case.
Does anyone know if there are cell phones made in USA?
hey buddy is anything made in the USA anymore seems we are eagar to stick the money in some elses pocket,
Apple fanboys and fangirls puzzle me - i guess the products are supposedly so cool they're willing to give the company and that d-bag Jobs a pass on just about anything :?
i knows but there rare,
Companies rarely have to answer for these things because they will claim that the work is contracted out and they don't have the oversight.
By that logic, the manufacturing shouldn't be done in the United States. I mean for all the talk about how unfair it is that jobs are going to China because they abuse workers rights, workers in other parts of the world like Canada, have it way better and have way more of their jobs protected compared to the United States.
Where do you get computers and other electronics? Serious question.
but the issue is not that they are 15, you might not agree with it but the lifestyle in rural China is one that kids work when they reach the age to, they don't go to school but contribute to the family financially everyone probably works in the factory. Not saying this is right but it is a whole separate issue...
Regardless working conditions should be safe and standard with a priority for human rights
and it is something that our government should be regulating not the country's government where the factory is.
+1
Jobs totally rubs me the wrong way ...
I have no problem with buying products made in those countries either. However I live in the US so I try to support my fellow citizens first.
I'm using an OLD Apple made in Taiwan. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when it comes time to replace it.
I just bought a clothes iron made in Germany because it was the only one not made in China out of about a dozen at Target. It cost $90 compared to $25-35 for the Chinese models. I just bought a cheap microwave made in Thailand, all the rest were made in China. Now for serious appliances my next house will be all USA and German made equipment. I'm selling my house right now so I'm renting a townhome until it sells, kind of sucks making double payments but I don't want someone trolling through my things when I'm not there.
But how do you feel about stealing jobs from Canadians by supporting a country that has labour practices that allow for clothing and other products to be made for cheaper than they could be in Canada, thus taking advantage of workers who can't afford to move?
This will definitely make me think twice about buying Apple however their products are made well and I prefer their operating system.....
You should base your comments on real facts. You should not include statements such as "I think" without any evidence to support your comment. Take a look at this page from Green Peace:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international ... es-line-up
and
http://www.greenpeace.org/international ... lly-060110
Montreal 20/06/03, Montreal 15/09/05, Ottawa 16/09/05. Montreal 1 (EV) 09/08/08; Albany 2 (EV) 09/06/09.
Toronto 21/08/09; Cleveland 9/05/10; Buffalo 10/05/10. Montreal 7/09/11; Toronto 11/9/11; Toronto 12/9/11; Ottawa 14/9/11.
London 16/07/13; Pittsburg 11/10/13; Buffalo 12/10/13. Moline (No Code) 17/10/14, St Paul 19/10/14, Milwaukee (Yield) 20/10/14.
Quebec City 5/5/2016, Ottawa 8/5/2016; Toronto (Binaural) 10/5/2016, Toronto 12/5/2016 (Completed Ten, finally got Oceans).
London 18/7/2018, London 19/7/2018 :(, Boston 2/9/2018.
Quebec City 1/9/2022; Ottawa 3/9/2022; Hamilton 6/9/2022, Toronto 8/9/2022.
I know my facts, thank you. *You* should consider Greenpeace is not the end-all, be-all of environmental rankings.
Oh, hello http://greenrankings.newsweek.com/
ps: that is exactly the correct use of "I think", if I were certain I would say "I know". English. Learn it.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international ... ly-sell-gr
My last and final point as I hate to argue on line.
Montreal 20/06/03, Montreal 15/09/05, Ottawa 16/09/05. Montreal 1 (EV) 09/08/08; Albany 2 (EV) 09/06/09.
Toronto 21/08/09; Cleveland 9/05/10; Buffalo 10/05/10. Montreal 7/09/11; Toronto 11/9/11; Toronto 12/9/11; Ottawa 14/9/11.
London 16/07/13; Pittsburg 11/10/13; Buffalo 12/10/13. Moline (No Code) 17/10/14, St Paul 19/10/14, Milwaukee (Yield) 20/10/14.
Quebec City 5/5/2016, Ottawa 8/5/2016; Toronto (Binaural) 10/5/2016, Toronto 12/5/2016 (Completed Ten, finally got Oceans).
London 18/7/2018, London 19/7/2018 :(, Boston 2/9/2018.
Quebec City 1/9/2022; Ottawa 3/9/2022; Hamilton 6/9/2022, Toronto 8/9/2022.
Then don't start them
NB 993's
http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/02/news/co ... s.fortune/
BTW, I'm kicking myself every day for not buying Ford stock in January of 2008.
6/30/98 Minneapolis, 10/8/00 East Troy (Brrrr!), 6/16/03 St. Paul, 6/27/06 St. Paul
And yet every time I see threads about Apple I never fail to find vitriol being aimed at Steve Jobs for no apparent reason that "he's a douchebag". The guy rescued Apple from floundering when he returned to the company he started, and they just posted a $15 billion profit last year. Not bad for a company being derided for serving a "niche market".
Nobody's saying he's perfect - he has an infamous temper and a penchant for holding on to grudges - but I don't judge any products based on the temperament of their CEOs. I judge products on their performance, and frankly I've found Apple products to be by and large just as good or even better than anything out there.
Not everyone will agree with me, of course, but I don't base my views on gut emotions or snide dismissals.
And believe me, despite the fact that I now own a MacBook after years of using PCs, and being on my second iPhone, I'm not shy about criticizing Apple for their errors. Giving the iPhone an unbelievably weak transmitter was one glaring defect that's led to countless issues with AT&T customers being unable to properly get reception. Making the 6th generation iPod classic 120 GB (from 160GB) and changing the audio chip to a noticeably inferior one was another stupid decision. And so on.
Furthermore, I find such faux outrage over Apple's use of Chinese labor to be laughable, when virtually every electronic device used by people here have roots in suffering and blood. And not just in China. The coltan and niobium used in CPUs and smart chips, for instance, are inextricably linked to militant groups committing genocide in the Congo, and yet nobody's been talking about this. HP a role model? After this company spearheaded the efforts to outsource jobs to India and the Philippines so they didn't have to pay workers here a living wage?
Yeah, Apple shouldn't be doing business with China. But really, neither should any of us here. There's a lot of hidden costs to the Chinese manufacturing economy, from the rampant pollution of their environment caused by building a new coal fired plant every week and dumping noxious chemicals into their water, to more and more greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere, and one sided "free trade" deals that leech jobs away from us and turning us into a "would you like some fries with that?" economy.
How about we start having a sensible discussion about bringing back union made manufacturing jobs to the USA, where they provided the backbone of the middle class and our booming economy from the late 40s to the 80s? How about we start factoring in the real costs of doing business with China? How about reversing NAFTA, CAFTA, and all these rotten "free trade" policies? How about restoring the tax rates of billionaires and millionaires to the way they were back in the Eisenhower era so CEOs don't have an incentive to keep pumping up profits to the point of breaking their companies and crushing everyone else?
/end rant
Like if work.
I'm drunk now, so anyone offended can sue me.
I'm not saying the labor conditions are to everyones expectations, but believe me, I counted the days religously until I turned 16 and could make $4.35 an hour.. beated the $5 a week my parents gave me.
But really, it sucks.. but are these workers slaves? They have a choice right, and they must like the option, right? No?
What would they be doing if Apple pulled out and paid Americans more to do a shittier job?
Don't think I'm siding, I'm just questioning.
Maybe not in China, but a lot of places like say Indonesia, saw a news story about child labour, and a lot of places like that the choices are work in factory that is crappy compared to North American standards, don't work and go hungry, or be a child prostitute. For me that would be a pretty easy choice.
I absolutely agree with you!!!!
would the usa need to 'create' jobs now, if we didn't outsource the manufacturing and customer service sectors ????
also, the industry is against labeling where there cocoa comes from because it would somehow be damaging to the industry and is impractical
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
They have a choice between starvation, or making a barely sustainable living. Kinda like choosing to submit to a mugger when he has a knife to your throat, or getting your carotid artery slashed.
Real easy to criticize other countries from the safety and comfort of your armchair in the good old US of A.
The fact that you can even think that Americans "do a shittier job" is proof enough that you ARE siding. Americans have the highest productivity of any work force in the world, and it's been going up every year.
Meanwhile, the real wages of American workers have remained stagnant since the 1980's, while company profits and CEO salaries have continued to skyrocket.
Makes me wonder what you're actually questioning.