Apple Faces Labor Violation Charges in China Facility
Apple faces labor violation charges in its supply chain, and this time, at a China facility operated by supplier Jabil Circuit.
In a report released by China Labor Watch on Thursday, the group said Apple’s aim to hastily produce a low-cost version of its iPhone is taking its toll on their workers at the Jabil Circuit Facility in Wuxi.
Jabil Circuit, which is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, hasn’t been reached as of press time for any comments regarding the issue.
China Labor Watch claimed that they have discovered “legal and ethical” violations at the Jabil Circuit Facility. These include poor employee living and working conditions, excessive working hours, and insufficient training.
These violations are extensive dilemma committed all throughout the supply chain of electronics companies, as noted in the report. However, China Labor Watch stated that issues at the Wuxi facility has ignored promises and public efforts that Apple has made before with regards to fixing labor issues within its supply chain. Apple, as a member of the Fair Labor Association, reports working hours every month on its website and releases annual supplier responsibility reports basing on customary audits of its facilities.
Fair Labor association is a group that carries out independent audits of its member-company facilities.
Those hard works, though, haven’t done anything to eradicate abuses within the supply chain where many of Apple’s products are produced.
The group said in a press release, “Despite half a decade of outside investigations and self-reporting on myriad labor abuse throughout its Chinese supply chain, Apple has continually failed to compel supplier factories to conform to Apple’s code of conduct and local labor laws before giving these suppliers Apple production orders.”
Kristin Huguet, Apple’s spokesperson, stated Apple takes the said accusations seriously and that a team is already looking into these new charges at the Wuxi facility.
Since 2008, Apple has already conducted 14 audits of Jabil facilities plus three of the Wuxi facility in the last three years. Huguet admitted that the audits of Jabil factories have turned up some issues.
Big technology companies have been repeatedly criticized by Labor rights advocates for the conditions at their facilities worldwide where smartphones, tablets and other gadgets are produced.
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