Apple uncovers workplace violations at overseas factories

In an audit of 102 factories, the company has uncovered 17 major violations at the various factories that build Apple’s computers, iPods, and iPhones.

The violations included hiring under age workers, using non-certified vendors for discarding hazardous waste, manipulating records during audit, and levying high recruitment fee.

Apple did not name the suppliers or the countries in which they were operating but in order to conduct the audit, it visited sites in countries like China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Philippines and the U.S. itself.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Apple has conducted the audit, which is aimed at uncovering abuses being faced by workers and improving workplace conditions by ensuring that the factories obey company’s “strict standards.”

Factories hiring underage workers
Apple discovered three factories using child labor. Around 11 underage children had been hired. The minimum age of employment in these countries is 16 years.

The Cupertino, California-based company in its annual report of suppliers stated, “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 under-age people had been able to gain employment.”

Other violations
Apple also found that there were 24 facilities where workers were paid less than the minimum wage. At least 57 of its manufacturing partners did not offer the required benefits to their employees.

There were around eight factories where workers paid high recruitment fee. Further, there were around 60 factories where the workers were overworking.

"When we investigated, we uncovered records and conducted worker interviews that revealed excessive working hours and seven days of continuous work," said Apple, adding that it has cancelled all contracts with the erring factories.

Similar occurrences in the past
The report has not come as a surprise, as Apple’s various suppliers have been criticized in the past for indulging in such practices.

In August last year, Wintek, a factory making products for Apple, was exposed for its hazardous working conditions after one of its employees died and other 49 were treated for N-hexane poisoning.

Last year, Sun Danyong, 25, a worker at Foxconn, the Taiwanese company, committed suicide after he was accused of stealing an iPhone sample.

Training program for workers launched by Apple
Considering the abuses being faced by the workers at various factories building Apple products, the company has started an extensive training program for the employees.

The program is aimed at educating the workers about their various rights at the workplace, including a safe working environment.

Till now, more than 120000 workers have received training, and some 5000 supervisors, and managers have been educated about their responsibilities towards the employees.