Apple Partners with Labor Group to Monitor Workplace Conditions at Suppliers' Factories

[MacRumors]

Bloomberg reports that Apple has agreed to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to access its suppliers' facilities to monitor workplace conditions in the wake of publicity surrounding worker suicides at Apple's primary manufacturing partner Foxconn.

The world's most valuable technology company joins Nike Inc. (NKE), Nestle SA (NESN) and Syngenta AG (SYNN) in turning to the Fair Labor Association, set up in 1999 to monitor workplace conditions globally in an initiative by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Apple is the first technology business to sign up to the FLA as a participating company, the Washington-based body said today in a press release.

In the press release (PDF), Apple senior vice president Jeff Williams notes that Apple routinely performs audits of its suppliers' facilities but that the company is pleased to engage with the Fair Labor Association as an independent monitoring group.

"We're extremely proud to be the first technology company admitted to the FLA," said Jeff Williams, Apple's senior vice president of Operations. "Last year we performed more than 200 audits at our supplier's facilities around the world. With the benefit of the FLA's experience and expertise, we will continue to drive improvements for workers and provide even greater transparency into our supply chain."

The FLA reports that it worked with Apple last year on the company's training programs regarding labor rights and worker standards, and that Apple will bring all of its workplace compliance standards in line with the FLA's guidelines over the next two years.

Article Link: Apple Partners with Labor Group to Monitor Workplace Conditions at Suppliers' Factories

[fins831]

<applause>

[whooleytoo]

I don't know much about the FLA (nor know if they have any power to be effective), but it's a good touch on Apple's part.

[rsbagga]

Glad to hear!

[arkitect]

Cynically I'd say Apple know the rumours over awful working conditions are bad PR and so try to combat that rather than any heartfelt humanitarian concerns, but that being said:

Good move Apple.

[TWSS37]

It's about time. Quite frankly, the human rights conditions in these factories are worse than Darfur.

[Kaibelf]

Originally Posted by arkitect

Cynically I'd say Apple know the rumours over awful working conditions are bad PR and so try to combat that rather than any heartfelt humanitarian concerns, but that being said:

Good move Apple.

It doesn't seem to stop any other companies from ignoring complaints for years. Exxon? Nike? Gap? At least Apple audits places regularly and responds instead of waiting till it goes away.

[arkitect]

Originally Posted by Kaibelf

It doesn't seem to stop any other companies from ignoring complaints for years. Exxon? Nike? Gap? At least Apple audits places regularly and responds instead of waiting till it goes away.

I think you chose not to read my last line…

[mijail]

Originally Posted by arkitect

I think you chose not to read my last line…

Or maybe he read the cynical first one.

[Votekinky06]

Good job Daisey.

[carlgo]

It was in the news elsewhere that workers threatened mass suicide (!) in Microsoft's Foxcon plant.

Can you imagine what would happen if there was a Jim Jones-like Kool-aid incident there? It would change everything.

[damir00]

Who watches the watchers?

----------

Originally Posted by carlgo

It would change everything.

I very much doubt that.

When it comes right down to it, almost none of us care enough to do anything but offer lip service, as we have demonstrated over and over again by ignoring the horrible things that already go on to get us our Oil and other goodies.

[Kaibelf]

Originally Posted by mijail

Or maybe he read the cynical first one.

Right on the money.

[Macman45]

Originally Posted by arkitect

Cynically I'd say Apple know the rumours over awful working conditions are bad PR and so try to combat that rather than any heartfelt humanitarian concerns, but that being said:

Good move Apple.

I have to agree. The primary care of Foxconn employees lies with? Foxconn. Whilst I applaud the gesture, Foxconn's company policy is it's own concern.

Stopping depression in the younger generation is unlikely to be influenced by this decision either.

It's a fundamental flaw in Chinese Governence over which neither Apple, Foxconn or the LG have any control over whatsoever.

[MacSince1990]

Originally Posted by damir00

Who watches the watchers?[COLOR="#808080"]

The watch-makers.

[Kaibelf]

Originally Posted by carlgo

It was in the news elsewhere that workers threatened mass suicide (!) in Microsoft's Foxcon plant.

Can you imagine what would happen if there was a Jim Jones-like Kool-aid incident there? It would change everything.

No, it wouldn't. There are plenty of people willing to take these jobs who would be thrilled not to have to do manual labor in rice fields. These people who hate Foxconn's working conditions didn't have to irrigate crops for 30-40 years and see what REAL sore feet feel like. While I don't think a job there is great in any way, I definitely can say it's a step up from some of the rural options.

[MacSince1990]

Originally Posted by damir00

Who watches the watchers?

----------



I very much doubt that.

When it comes right down to it, almost none of us care enough to do anything but offer lip service, as we have demonstrated over and over again by ignoring the horrible things that already go on to get us our Oil and other goodies.

Almost none of us really CAN do anything about it. Those with power aren't those who care.

[damir00]

Originally Posted by MacSince1990

Almost none of us really CAN do anything about it. Those with power aren't those who care.

We elect those in power.

Nobody in a democracy can shirk personal responsibility.

If we wanted to, we could do something about this tomorrow. But in reality we don't really want to (and I include myself in this, I'm as "guilty" as everyone else).

[Thunderhawks]

Originally Posted by Macman45

I have to agree. The primary care of Foxconn employees lies with? Foxconn. Whilst I applaud the gesture, Foxconn's company policy is it's own concern.

Stopping depression in the younger generation is unlikely to be influenced by this decision either.

It's a fundamental flaw in Chinese Governence over which neither Apple, Foxconn or the LG have any control over whatsoever.

Even if you want to blame the government (They are trying with their controversial one child policy), but what can anybody do if people make baby after baby, leading to over population?

After that the problems multiply accordingly.

[AustinIllini]

Originally Posted by damir00

We elect those in power.

Nobody in a democracy can shirk personal responsibility.

If we wanted to, we could do something about this tomorrow. But in reality we don't really want to (and I include myself in this, I'm as "guilty" as everyone else).

How can we fix problems overseas when we have plenty of problems here we need to work out? I applaud Apple for taking steps to rectify what they see is a problem, but I don't know that it is the responsibility of our government to get involved.

[Boomhowler]

Originally Posted by AustinIllini

How can we fix problems overseas when we have plenty of problems here we need to work out? I applaud Apple for taking steps to rectify what they see is a problem, but I don't know that it is the responsibility of our government to get involved.

You can always vote with your wallet. If you are unhappy with how a certain company does its dealings, don't buy their stuff and educate others why they shouldn't do that either. And communicate with that company if you actually want to buy their stuff but can't due to them being immoral.

[Kaibelf]

Originally Posted by Boomhowler

You can always vote with your wallet. If you are unhappy with how a certain company does its dealings, don't buy their stuff and educate others why they shouldn't do that either. And communicate with that company if you actually want to buy their stuff but can't due to them being immoral.

Your logic has a fatal flaw: what alternative companies provide better value and a better work environment for their employees? I'm all for being "moral" as long as I'm not being ripped off on a garbage product, and I don't see a lot of Apple's competitors setting up shop in comfortable plants with high pay, pensions, and perks.

[GSPice]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)

What a joke. Every dollar Apple pays the morally bankrupt FLA is a dollar that could have been spent improving and advancing it's technology. It's laughable how quickly people applaud what is essentially Apple paying off a fox to guard the hen house.

[TMay]

Originally Posted by TWSS37

It's about time. Quite frankly, the human rights conditions in these factories are worse than Darfur.

Quite frankly, you are quite full of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Darfur

One's a condition of overwork and stressful working conditions.

The other is war, starvation and genocide.

They aren't comparable, so stop trying.

Oh, and I downgraded you.

[Boomhowler]

Originally Posted by Kaibelf

Your logic has a fatal flaw: what alternative companies provide better value and a better work environment for their employees? I'm all for being "moral" as long as I'm not being ripped off on a garbage product, and I don't see a lot of Apple's competitors setting up shop in comfortable plants with high pay, pensions, and perks.

The first problem is that (in my opinion) no-one is making a similar product to the Mac so I cannot simply go to another vendor, since there is none

One way to solve the issue you are talking about is to do the work yourself then. If you can find part-providers which still produce their stuff in EU or US (maybe OWC? they seem to be very US-centric). Buy parts from them and put together the computer here. I'm not so well versed though in which parts manufacturers to choose, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't build a "only US" or "only EU" computer nowadays. Well, maybe some of the NANDs for example might be hard to come by.

But yes, I'm being idealistic now. As I said, that product would't be even close to the Mac. I do believe that Apple is making an ok job to try to make things good for the chinese workers and I hope that they will continue to try to make things decent for them. And yes, I would pay the eventual surplus for my machines if Apple would move their factories to democratic countries with good salaries, health politics and work conditions.