Apple doesn't approve of child labor

[006]

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. said three of its suppliers hired 11 underage workers to help build the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh computer last year, a violation it uncovered as part of its onsite audit of 102 factories.
“Apple discovered three facilities that had previously hired 15-year-old workers in countries where the minimum age for employment is 16,” the company said in a 24-page report on “Supplier Responsibility” posted on its Web site. The workers were “no longer in active employment at the time of our audit.”
Apple didn’t name its suppliers and manufacturers. The company visited sites in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Philippines and the U.S. Apple also found three cases where suppliers “falsified records” to conceal underage hiring, more than 60 facilities where employees were overworked, 24 partners that paid less than the minimum wage and 57 who didn’t offer all required benefits.
“Apple’s Code sets a maximum of 60 work hours per week and requires at least one day of rest per seven days of work,” the company said. Apple also said it asked suppliers to end a practice “where wage deductions were used for disciplinary purposes.”
The company said it stopped doing business with at least one unnamed supplier after finding repeated violations and “inadequate actions” to address the problems.
Recruitment Fees
Apple’s review also found that at eight facilities, including suppliers in Taiwan, foreign workers paid excessive recruitment fees to hiring agencies to get jobs. The company said employees were reimbursed $2.2 million in fee overcharges over the past two years and that Apple has set a standard limiting such fees to the “equivalent of one month’s net wages.”
Apple “also created extensive training programs to educate workers about their right to a safe and respectful work environment,” Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, said today.
As part of that training, more than 128,000 workers received information outlining their rights and more than 5,000 supervisors and managers received training on their responsibilities to employees, Apple said in its report.
The company also established courses for workers to expand computer and technical skills and set standards for dormitories, medical treatment and pregnancy non-discrimination.
Apple rose $2.62 to $204.62 yesterday in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares more than doubled last year.

Originally from this page.

 

[updog]

11 isn't very much, I was expecting much much more. But it's cool if they did this: "more than 128,000 workers received information outlining their rights and more than 5,000 supervisors and managers received training on their responsibilities to employees, Apple said in its report."

 

[SocialNumb]

Fuck yeah, Apple.

 

[narcossintese]

Bill Gates is giving over 10 billion to develop vaccines to poor countries.
source

 

[SocialNumb]

^Yeah he does. I once read that he will give most of his fortune to charity when he dies. (arrange it of course) I don't know if things changed though. Maybe he is guilty about something, maybe he is just nice like that. I don't know.

 

[FloridaRolf]

Mac vs PC

GO

 

[006]

Lol it's not about Apple vs. Microsoft. I posted the story purely because I thought it was really cool of a company to publicly announce, without inquiry, "hey, we didn't know this was going on, and here's what we did/are doing to fix it because we do not approve of it." Before any media found out and made it seem much worse and then the company has to go "ok you busted us we're fixing it to save our ass," like every other fucking company that hides shit and covers everything up.

 

[MKS]

I know for a fact that Apple was using 14 year old workers in Taiwan back in 2000. However, they seemed like happy workers and the company treated them well.

 

[drew_drummer]

That's a shame. I approve of it.

 

[Bekanor]

Apple's marketing team really are brilliant, turning every day gadgets into life support systems and a Mr Burns-esque billionaire tyrant into Jesus.

 

[plague_rider]

^Yeah he does. I once read that he will give most of his fortune to charity when he dies. (arrange it of course) I don't know if things changed though. Maybe he is guilty about something, maybe he is just nice like that. I don't know.

I read he's not giving his money to his kids, their getting shite all unless they do something worthwile with their lives like become a Doctor or any other profession that helps others

even then their not getting much

Same with Pete Jones from Dragon's Den