Apple on defence after BBC exposé of working conditions in its factories

[inanna]

Source: CBC

Apple is in the spotlight again over working conditions for the people who make its products, following a BBC investigation that alleges poor treatment of workers in Chinese factories.

Undercover filming by the BBC investigative program Panorama showed exhausted employees who said they had worked 12 to 16 hours a day with no days off for long stretches.

They lived 12 to a room in dormitories and were forced to attend before and after work meetings without being paid for their time, the BBC said.

<snip>

Panorama also investigated Apple’s claim that its materials are ethically sourced. It found some of the tin in Apple’s products came from illegal mines in Indonesia, where child labour was used to dig tin ore by hand in dangerous conditions.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/apple-on-defence-after-bbc-expos%C3%A9-of-working-conditions-in-its-factories-1.2879208?cmp=rss

[Derek V]

1. Jobs from Jobs really suck!

[JDDavis]

2. As well they should be on "defense" of the indefensible.

I'd like to see their sales drop by 50% until they finally figure out that they can have assembly plants in all the countries where Apple products are experiencing record sales. The USA, Canada, UK Australia, all the E U nations.

Apple can and should bring assembly and manufacturing jobs to each and every country where they sell millions of units of their products. Buyers would pay $50 more knowing their electronics were assembled in the USA, Canada, etc.: the country where they are bought and used.

Saving money on production by exploiting people from the Far Eastern nations, this will destroy most electronics firms in the next 10 years. Employ local people, train and treat them fairly, give them decent wages and benefits for a decent work day. Success, the Henry Ford way, who insisted his workers be paid enough to afford the product they were assembling.

[Downtown Hound]

3. Just one of the reasons why I'm glad I no longer use Apple products

Man, ten years ago I was a die hard Mac Addict. Today I want nothing to do with the company. These allegations have been kicking around against Apple for nearly a decade, and Apple has done nothing about it. Shame on them.

[JDDavis]

4. Sorry to burst your bubble of pride, but

Apple is but one of dozens of manufacturers who make their consumer electronic products in China or some other Far East nation with very low pay scales, long hours, poor working conditions.

Take a look around. I'm not excusing Apple, nor any of the other ones, just look around, and see my other posts.

[Downtown Hound]

6. Yes, thank you Mr. State What Everybody Already Knows

But as the world's leading tech company who markets themselves as being trendy and hip and different, they have a special responsibility to act on that, in my opinion. And it's especially discouraging since Steve Jobs took part in this and he was supposed to be the cool hippie.

You gotta start demanding corporate responsibility somewhere, why not at the top of the pile? I was using Apple products back in the 90's when Apple was just hanging on by their teeth. They are where they are today because of people like me. So if they're not going to be responsible, I'll take my business elsewhere.

[JDDavis]

8. You gotta start demanding corporate responsibility somewhere, why not at the top...?

Start anywhere you want, top, bottom or in the middle.

Excuse no one. Be proud of not choices in a world where corporate legalized explotation of one work force over any other is blessed and a minute of pride for one brand's buyer over another.

[Dustlawyer]

5. Take a look at what the PTB have planned for America, that's where we are heading.

Keep voting for corporate candidates, be they Republican or Democrat, this is their master's goal!

[christx30]

7. But at least they're nice enough

to put up suicide nets so their workers don't get hurt!

I love my iPhone. But the working conditions are terrible.

[RunInCircles]

9. Plus they pay no income taxes

Apple has set up a division in Ireland that they transferred their patents to. Then every single dime of profit they make in the US is paid as a royalty fee for use of the patents. Not one dime in taxes to support the roads, airports, shipping ports we built to ship their products. This is Steve Job's legacy. If out congress wasn't a wholly own subsidiary of Corporate America we would establish tariffs to punish companies using such tax evasion schemes. Manufacture with virtual slave labor and evade all taxes sounds perfect give that CEO a huge bonus. Because its always about making the most profit without regard to morality in any shape fashion or form. That's the capitalist system we have built. This is why CEOs and other corporate officers get paid so much so they will clearly understand that their job is always to maximize profit. Any CEO who doesn't get this will be replaced with somebody who understands profit takes precedence over all other considerations.