Hasn't Apple learned from infamous 1990's wrath faced by Nike?

Foxconn, world's largest manufacturer of electronic goods was in news recently because of frequent incidents of suicides, strikes and riots within its campus in China. The company was hugely censured for the disturbing working conditions for the employees and the work overburden endured by them.

Apple on the verge of in campus violence
In regard, New York Times did an extensive cover story that highlighted employee miseries at the plants, and exposed its blatant claims of world class working enviromnment. The high production rate accomplished by the workers was an outcome of increased working hours and dismal living conditions.

Subsequent defamed impression came for Apple; Apple being Foxconn's biggest client and much aniticipated release of iphone 5 overburdened the production units.

Nike's Reminiscent
The current defame caused to Apple mirrors a similar and more infamous episode of the late 90's. Sneaker and sportswear giant Nike started acting on the vision to rapidly expand their overseas production, thus imposing burden on workers.

That incident in 1998 was extensively captured with a full length 60 minutes documentary story depicting the company's wrath on its employees.

Believing the then reports, Nike was accused of dangerous working conditions, use of highly toxic carcinogens and even child labour. Agitations, violent activities became regular and reflected Nike as the least desirable working company by the employees.

The press coverage was so disturbing that the then Nike chairman Phil Knight famously declared in a May 1998 speech to the National Press Club that “the Nike product has become synonymous with slave wages, forced overtime, and arbitrary abuse.

Differences between the two
Much to Apple's fortune, the company has not witnessed media wrath with the intensity Nike faced. Nike's working conditions were worse than unpleasant ambience Apple is alleged to have. Obviously, Apple might have learnt from the bitter experiences Nike had then.

We as consumers seems to have a better understanding these days that the goods we rely so heavily on are produced at the expense of someone else's safety .

USA companies have drained 28-percent of it high-tech manufacturing jobs in the last decade to countries that offer cheaper labour and employees such as India.