Apple Computer said on Friday that its main supplier of iPod musicplayers let employees in a China plant work longer hours than allowedby Apple's code of conduct, and that it had taken steps to address theissue.
Apple had launched an investigation after international media reports on work practices at the supplier Foxconn, a unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry.
In a statement, Apple said its code been violated in some cases, but insisted the overtime was voluntary. "We found no instance of forced overtime," Apple said. "We, however,found that employees worked longer hours than permitted by our code ofconduct."
Hon Hai spokesman Edmund Ding told Reuters in Taipei that the Applestatement gave "a very detailed explanation of the situation" and was"fair." He added that the company "has not violated any laborstandards."
News source: CNET News.com
Apple had launched an investigation after international media reports on work practices at the supplier Foxconn, a unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry.
In a statement, Apple said its code been violated in some cases, but insisted the overtime was voluntary. "We found no instance of forced overtime," Apple said. "We, however,found that employees worked longer hours than permitted by our code ofconduct."
Hon Hai spokesman Edmund Ding told Reuters in Taipei that the Applestatement gave "a very detailed explanation of the situation" and was"fair." He added that the company "has not violated any laborstandards."
News source: CNET News.com
http://www.elmundo.es/navegante/2006/08/18...1155895385.html
It says that apple admits that people work long hours (more than 60 hours a week), that they often suprass the 6 work days a week too, and that the workers earn the minium salary.
Supplier: Yeah, sure, just work another 5 hours a day and you'll have heaps of money.
Worker: But I life too. Can't work all day.
Supplier: Meh, it's your choice mate, no one is forcing you to work overtime.
Worker: I not enough to eat or send child to school.
Supplier: That's a shame *cough*overtime*cough* it really is.
Apple: Hey they say you are overworking your employees. Most of your workers are working longer hours than permitted in our CoC.
Supplier: Oh, they chose to. We're not forcing anyone to work overtime. Some people just like working so much, you know.
Apple: Alrighty then. That'll work. We were getting some bad media over it before.
I don't think you live in China...
Space ^
It is the age of the great labor exploitation, something that had happened centuries ago when western countries
started capitalism. Now China is embracing it, and sure it is gonna happen.
You can kill that Apple plant, but can you kill all plants in China?
Adam Smith was the wise man. It is cruel, but it is inevitable. Afterall, who really cares? Not even the Chinese government is doing anything.
Welcome to the age of the great economic expansion.
Many spelling mistakes. Perhaps the keyboars is at fault, perhaps not...
I've been to China, unlike the majority here passing judgement. Most people at the same status level of factory workers but are doing other jobs are working 7 days a week, have poorer living conditions (no running water, electricity, etc), and make less money. Like it or not, the factories in China have raised the living standards for millions of Chinese. It's completely false to think that taking away the "sweatshops" and moving production elsewhere will help Chinese people.
Minimum wage at Foxconn appears to be $60/month. This is all spending money because room and board is taken care of. It sounds like a tiny amount but you have to realize that most things cost only about 1/8th of what they do here. $60 is more like $480 when buying food, clothes, and other necessities. That's $480 on top of the included boarding.
When we were in China recently, my wife bought a Chinese dress for $5 and it would have been at least $40 in the US. We had an excellent meal at one of the nicest hotels in the city (Dalian) that would feed 3 people for less a steak dinner at Applebees. A typical lunch in China would cost about $.25. That's 2 yuan. A bowl of rice and some vegetables for breakfast would be 1 yuan or about 13 cents. Dinner, maybe 50 cents. All told, we are talking less than a dollar for food per day. That leaves about $30 per month for a factory worker to save or spend on entertainment or whatever.
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