Apple fires Chinese supplier after discovering underage workers in factories

[RaduTyrsina]

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Apple has been always interested in monitoring working conditions in its major supplier factories based in China. In its latest Supplier Responsibility report, which was revealed to the public this week, Cupertino claims to have discovered that one of the supplier it was working with employed under aged workers in its factories. Subsequently, Apple cut all ties with the component maker in question – the Guangdong Real Faith Pingzhou Electronics.

In the report, the iPhone maker stated that it discovered 74 such cases in the Chinese compound which is in charge of producing circuit board components. This is not the only illegalities it has stumbled upon. It also brought to the light of day an employment agency which was in charge of falsifying the needed documents in order to allow children to work in the plants.

Apple immediately reported the supplier and its connecting agency – Shemzen Quanshun Human Resources to the Chinese Authorities in Shenzen and Henan:

“The agency had its business license suspended and was fined. The children were returned to their families, and PZ was required to pay expenses to facilitate their successful return."

Even if Apple relies deeply on its Asian partners for its precious components, the tech giant is very interested in monitoring the working conditions of the employees who assemble the components. Thus, Cupertino conducted more than 393 audits in 2012, a number which represents a 72% increase from 2011.

Apple’s name was brought into the spotlight when several years back publications like The Mail and the New York Time exposed the poor working conditions of workers stationed in Apple plants across Asia. Since then, Apple has been very careful about the topic.

Source: Zdnet

 

[s2mikey]

It's good to hear that they are doing something about this type of stuff. I still would like to see those jobs here in the USA and I still feel that those people are somewhat exploited. However, we all keep buying the stuff so we support it indirectly, don't we?

I wonder if people would be willing to pay a little more for goods made here? In many cases I would if the quality was there.

 

[Kaykaykay]

It's good to hear that they are doing something about this type of stuff. I still would like to see those jobs here in the USA and I still feel that those people are somewhat exploited. However, we all keep buying the stuff so we support it indirectly, don't we?

I wonder if people would be willing to pay a little more for goods made here? In many cases I would if the quality was there.

It wouldn't be "a little more," because a Chinese factory worker makes pennies on the dollars vs. Americans, if those jobs were to exist in the US. I'd be willing to, but I doubt many consumers would. Would you?

 

[Kaykaykay]

For general reference:

How Much Would the iPad 2 Cost If It Were Made in the U.S.? About $1,140 - Derek Thompson - The Atlantic

 

[Superfandango]

In my opinion not just apple but most of these corporate companies exploit 3rd world and poor countries for cheap labour and materials. None of us want to see children working in these environments or working at all... Their world is alot different to ours, maybe them and their families will starve if they can not work, we were sending children down mines and up chimneys not so long ago, Its all very wrong

 

[Kaykaykay]

In my opinion not just apple but most of these corporate companies exploit 3rd world and poor countries for cheap labour and materials. None of us want to see children working in these environments or working at all... Their world is alot different to ours, maybe them and their families will starve if they can not work, we were sending children down mines and up chimneys not so long ago, Its all very wrong

What actions are you taking?

 

[thewitt]

It's good to hear that they are doing something about this type of stuff. I still would like to see those jobs here in the USA and I still feel that those people are somewhat exploited. However, we all keep buying the stuff so we support it indirectly, don't we?

I wonder if people would be willing to pay a little more for goods made here? In many cases I would if the quality was there.

No. People have already voted with their wallets, and they don't care where a product is made. Made in USA is a dream, not reality, for any electronics products.

US unskilled labor costs too much. It's just that simple.

One visit to a modern assembly facility in China makes this painfully obvious. There are 70,000 employees at one Foxconn location manually assembling Apple products. That's just one factory. You would never staff that in any city in the US.

 

[mrcupu]

just like what happenned in Mera'Kai China by the Motch brothers

 

[s2mikey]

No. People have already voted with their wallets, and they don't care where a product is made. Made in USA is a dream, not reality, for any electronics products.

US unskilled labor costs too much. It's just that simple.

One visit to a modern assembly facility in China makes this painfully obvious. There are 70,000 employees at one Foxconn location manually assembling Apple products. That's just one factory. You would never staff that in any city in the US.

I guess you're right. There are some high end products made here but not any consumer level stuff, that's for sure.

You could say that it's not so much that our labor costs too much but rather the companies aren't willing to shave profits or reduce earnings expectations to pay the workforce living wages. Always two ways to look at it.

 

[s2mikey]

For general reference:

How Much Would the iPad 2 Cost If It Were Made in the U.S.? About $1,140 - Derek Thompson - The Atlantic

Just as I figured, in order to maintain their profit margins, which are incredibly high. Now, that's good old capitalism and everyone cheers. However, they could slightly reduce profit margins and probably gain much of it back in extra sales due to more people having money to buy iPads and stuff. Of course, it never gets looked at this way. It's always making sure that a few big shareholders and managers get paid really good. That's fine. It's the way of things.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Just as I figured, in order to maintain their profit margins, which are incredibly high. Now, that's good old capitalism and everyone cheers. However, they could slightly reduce profit margins and probably gain much of it back in extra sales due to more people having money to buy iPads and stuff. Of course, it never gets looked at this way. It's always making sure that a few big shareholders and managers get paid really good. That's fine. It's the way of things.

I don't think this makes for a healthy society, and we all suffer consequences. Unfortunately, there are many market pressures, and most of us are complicit in the individual buying, investment and political decisions we make. But I'll stop there, since that moves us toward territory we're not allowed to on the forum.

 

[KevinJS]

I don't think this makes for a healthy society, and we all suffer consequences. Unfortunately, there are many market pressures, and most of us are complicit in the individual buying, investment and political decisions we make. But I'll stop there, since that moves us toward territory we're not allowed to on the forum.

That's the problem with this debate, and Kay is right. The movement of unskilled labor to third world economies is a political issue. Opinion as to the rights and wrongs of it, and possible solutions, largely comes down to one's political leanings, which we are barred from discussing.

Unfortunately, there is no way around it within our rules, so it's always going to be an unsatisfying conversation, with the most important bits left unsaid. Just take it from me, though. The forum is better off without politics, and the mods also have to bite their tongues. We are subject to the rules too, but I feel your pain.