Apple to investigate claims of labor violations in China factory
Ever since Tim Cook took the reins as CEO, Apple has been much more transparent about working conditions in its supply chain and more vigilant in correcting abuses when they arise.
That said, a labor watch group in China recently issued a report pointing to labor abuses in a factory in China operated by Jabil Circuit. Some of the alleged abuse includes hiring discrimination, demanding employees work ungodly hours without overtime pay, overcrowding and subpar working conditions such as forcing employees to stand for 11 hours on end with minimal breaks.
Apple was quick to acknowledge the report and issued the following statement to All Things D:
Apple is committed to providing safe and fair working conditions throughout our supply chain. We lead the industry with far-reaching and specialized audits, the most transparent reporting and educational programs that enrich the lives of workers who make our products. Apple is the first and only technology company to be admitted to the Fair Labor Association, and we are dedicated to protecting every worker in our supply chain.
As part of our extensive Supplier Responsibility program, Apple has conducted 14 comprehensive audits at Jabil facilities since 2008, including three audits of Jabil Wuxi in the past 36 months. We take any concerns about our suppliers very seriously, and our team of experts is on-site at Jabil Wuxi to look into the new claims about conditions there. Jabil has a proactive auditing program of their own and they have an excellent track record of meeting Apple's high standards.
Employees at Jabil are among the 1 million workers in Apple's supply chain whose working hours we track each week and report on our website. Year to date, Jabil Wuxi has performed above our 92 percent average for compliance with Apple's 60-hour per week limit. An audit completed 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.
We are proud of the work we do with our suppliers to improve conditions for workers. Our program goes far beyond monitoring by ensuring corrective actions where they are needed and aggressively enforcing our supplier code of conduct wherever Apple products are made. We believe in transparency and accountability, both for our suppliers and ourselves.
