Advocating for Human Rights for Workers

[RyanMcA]

I have used apple products for years, and would like to continue doing so using macs at home and in my laboratory.

However, I'm stopped cold as I now understand the conditions the workers who produce our products face. It seems unconscionable to me to purchase products unless the human beings working to create them receive a living wage, have comfortable living spaces, similar work hours to my own, and don't face pollution or destruction of their local environment.

I'd like to know how to advocate to apple to improve the situations of workers along the entire production/manufacturing chain. I'd be delighted to pay higher prices to be purchasing from a company with ethical standards I could be proud of.

Can anyone point me to who to talk to or write to or what else to do?

(I'm also pretty distressed to report that when I posted this request to the apple support community on apple.com, it was immediately deleted.)

Thank you for any help anyone can offer!

[velocityg4]

The only thing big corporations understand is their balance sheet. The only way Apple will change is if they think the positive correlation in sales will offset the increase in production costs. Or if they will lose too many sales by not acting.

The best thing you can do is not buy their products. Really then the only way you can go is to give up computers altogether. If you believe it is wrong strongly enough you must do it. Otherwise you are willing to reap the benefits in one hand and denounce it in the other.

The only other option would be to build your own computer. Then you can carefully select components made in factories with better conditions or countries with better worker rights laws. Even then your motherboard will likely contain chips made in China.

Everyone blames Apple. When China is the country allowing these work conditions to take place. Apple is just doing what they need to in order to stay competitive. Nearly every other computer and electronics manufacturer does the same. Also all the western nations policies are partly to blame. They could all set laws to deny all importation from and exportation to any country that does not adhere to worker rights and wage laws. That won't ever happen though.

Besides Apple is starting to move production to better parts of the world including the US. As are HP and others. Though I think this is more a function of shipping and foreign labor costs vs better domestic automation. Even then it's more like assembled in America. All the parts are still made in China.

[sviato]

Foxconn employees reportedly have higher wages and better conditions than other workplaces in China and there's more people wanting to work there every year.

These aren't slaves, if people want to work there then they'll work there. If it's unfit for them then they can seek other employment. Companies like Apple have been trying to improve conditions recently.

Getting a little tired of these western world activists

[RyanMcA]

While perhaps companies only care about their bottom likes, I think it's useful to do more than merely stop buying, which I have already done. I would like to inform apple why and that I'll resume doing so when conditions are better. I'd even like to ask what they need in order to move forward.

I don't blame apple alone. However, I've been an apple customer, and so am connected to that company.

sviato, the argument that people can just find work elsewhere is something I hear people with a lot of privilege say. I find it dismissive and hope that someone who'd like to respond to the question I asked will come along.

----------

Also, velocityg4, I noticed you said "better parts of the world including the US".

I'm chilled by that phrase. What does it mean?

I don't think there's anything better about the US. I'd like to see human beings anywhere treated with respect and compensated well for hard work.

[samiwas]

Originally Posted by velocityg4

The best thing you can do is not buy their products.

This is a quote I hear quite often. "Vote with your wallet!" "The market will sort it out!" But I have to ask, if no one tells a company WHY they are not spending their money, how does that company figure it out. You have to do more than just stop buying.

[velocityg4]

Originally Posted by RyanMcA

I'm chilled by that phrase. What does it mean?

I don't think there's anything better about the US. I'd like to see human beings anywhere treated with respect and compensated well for hard work.

Since your complaint was about working conditions. I was referring to working conditions. The US has better working conditions. I never said anywhere that people in one nation deserve better working conditions than another. But was pointing out that you buy products from companies that produce in countries with better workers rights or factories with better conditions.

I have no idea how you could have so grossly misinterpreted what I was writing about.

Originally Posted by samiwas

This is a quote I hear quite often. "Vote with your wallet!" "The market will sort it out!" But I have to ask, if no one tells a company WHY they are not spending their money, how does that company figure it out. You have to do more than just stop buying.

You can do that too. But continuing to buy products from a company while complaining is not the answer. As they don't care if you are complaining as long as you are still buying.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by RyanMcA

I have used apple products for years, and would like to continue doing so using macs at home and in my laboratory.

However, I'm stopped cold as I now understand the conditions the workers who produce our products face. It seems unconscionable to me to purchase products unless the human beings working to create them receive a living wage, have comfortable living spaces, similar work hours to my own, and don't face pollution or destruction of their local environment.

I'd like to know how to advocate to apple to improve the situations of workers along the entire production/manufacturing chain. I'd be delighted to pay higher prices to be purchasing from a company with ethical standards I could be proud of.

Can anyone point me to who to talk to or write to or what else to do?

(I'm also pretty distressed to report that when I posted this request to the apple support community on apple.com, it was immediately deleted.)

Thank you for any help anyone can offer!

What else to do? The first step would be to visit http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/ and have a look at what Apple _is_ actually doing.

For example, Apple actively audits suppliers to check that nobody under the age of 16 is employed, and has at least twice dropped suppliers who do this intentionally. Compare this for example to Samsung, who swears that they never, ever, truly never, employed anyone underage. Since you mention pollution, google for "Samsung cleanroom deaths" if you want to become really depressed.

You also seem to have some wrong impressions about payment, working hours, and so on. Here's what actually happens: Young people from piss pour villages move to the big towns and get a job in a factory. At Foxconn, the pay even for a beginner is actually a living wage. However, what these people want is to work for a year or two, then return home with as much cash in their pockets as possible. So how do you do that? Work as much as possible for two years, spend as little as possible. The result: They do as much overtime as they can, live in dormitories near the factory (very low rent, no transport to pay to get to work), and after two years return to their village with their pockets full of cash.