The Human Cost of the Apple Supply Chain Machine (bloomberg.com)

Apple is still struggling to improve working conditions at its supply chain factories. China Labor Watch and Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Catcher, a key supplier for iPhone and MacBook casings, makes workers endure harsh safety conditions and unfair work terms in a factory in Suqian. According to observers and discussions with workers, the machines are not only loud, but spray fluid and metallic particles that frequently hit workers' faces only some of which have access to safety goggles and gloves. From the report: Hundreds throng a workshop where the main door only opens about 12 inches. Off duty, they return to debris-strewn dorms bereft of showers or hot water. Many go without washing for days at a time, workers told Bloomberg. "My hands turned bloodless white after a day of work," said one of the workers, who makes a little over 4,000 yuan a month (just over $2 an hour) in her first job outside her home province of Henan. She turned to Catcher because her husband's home-decorating business was struggling. "I only tell good things to my family and keep the sufferings like this for myself." "I asked for the earplugs many times but they didn't have any. The loud noise of 'zah-zah' made my head ache and dizzy," one of those employees told Bloomberg.

Comments

Apple shamers

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm really tired of the Apple Shaming Society. It's like theres some group of people out there whjo make it their bussiness to rapidly notify all of us apple users or non-users that the company-that-can-do-no-wrong has a skid mark on it's shorts. Really were not thew naive. We don't exhalt apple to sainthood. It's a company that makes products we like or loath but it's not expected to be saintly. And most people even know that apple does go a mile further than most it is making sure it's foxconn suicide nets are secure and that the toxic effluent is at least mint flavored and made from recylced whale blubber not fresh kills.

Re:Apple shamers

[Excelcia]

It's unfortunate this has been modded down into obscurity, because it's true.

When you go to the supermarket, do you find out the working conditions of your banana picker? Do people make sure the apple pickers have benefits? I'm from Nova Scotia's Annapolis valley where a lot of the apples in Eastern North America are grown and I will tell you that none of the greedy rich farm owners here pay more than a pittance for the pickers.

The responsibility for worker conditions lies squarely with the workers and the government of the country they live. Worker conditions aren't changed from the outside. People's conditions are changed when they stand up for themselves. The Magna Carta didn't happen when the French decided not to buy English exports. The 5 day 40 hour work week didn't happen when consumers stopped buying manufactured goods. They happen when people demand it.

Re:Apple shamers

[Lead Butthead]

Apple says it investigated claims, found no standards breached

When their obscene profit margin is dependent on NOT finding breaches, no breach shall be found.

Re:We've known about this for close to a decade no

[servo335]

Why do you expect apple to fix this? Yout hink all the others using China are nto keeping the same deplorable conditions? China needs to step up and say treat people better but they wont!

At least Apple is trying

[SuperKendall]

As bad as this is, what about Samsung case makers? Or any other computer for that matter? They are pulling even worse shit that you in your Apple Hatred are too blind to also point out, implying only Apple is to blame...

But Apple actually monitors and takes actions against bad suppliers. How many other companies do anything at all?

Re:We've known about this for close to a decade no

[DontBeAMoran]

Last time you bought something, did you check if everyone involved was being treated fairly? Are you responsible for all the production steps that happens when you buy anything?

Let's say you buy some Oreo cookies:
- where did all the ingredients come from? Was there any people or animals harmed? What about harm to the land itself?
- how was the packaging manufactured? Which method was used to procure the oil used to make the plastic packaging? Was it harmful to the environment?
- how much polution was produced to make the cookies, the packaging, transport it between the supplier and the warehouse, then the warehouse to the grocery store where you shop? And when you drove there to buy them and bring them back to your house?

Say what you want, but even if Apple are trying, they're only working via contracts with manufacturers. They can ask of them to adhere to certain standards, but the fact is that everything costs money. That's capitalism at work.

Re: Victorian

[c6gunner]

If all countries had laws that required the selling company to prove that their workers are treated and paid humanely ...

... the third world would spiral further into poverty and desolation thanks to rich western doogooders taking away their only competitive advantage: cheap labour.

Huh?

[smooth wombat]

only some of which have access to safety goggles and gloves.

China makes these things by the 100s of millions. You mean they can't walk over to the factory next door and get a few pairs?