Apple responds to critics of Chinese working conditions
Apple has reiterated company policy regarding the use of Chinese component suppliers and said it is "committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply base," according to Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu quoted in Macworld today. The company says it requires all suppliers to agree to Apple's code of conduct before any contracts are signed.
Apple didn't comment directly on the report released yesterday by The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) critical of Apple's oversight of suppliers. In what it calls a Supplier Report (PDF), Apple has detailed the steps it takes to maintain compliance with policies that suppliers must meet. Apple admits that its own audits showed frequent violations by overseas companies, but the audits also detail the steps Apple took to keep these violations in check.
The 36 environmental groups that issued the critical report yesterday claim there is too large a gap from Apple written policies and the reality in the plants. You can download a PDF of the critical report, but note that it is in Chinese. The IPE also produced a video, also in Chinese, about the issue.
