Apple Details Working Conditions at Factories
By JESSICA E. VASCELLARO
Apple Inc. disclosed a comprehensive list of its major suppliers for the first time, along with a detailed report on factory inspections, moving to combat an array of criticism about working conditions in its supply chain and the company's transparency about it.
US: Our site along with others have been documenting an posting on Apple Incs Human Rights, environmental lack of concern, off shoring Jobs and profits so they would not have to pay taxes for a number of years now. To say they now wish to be transparent is intelectual bull. Which is our way of saying nicely, they are freaking liars.
In one of his first interviews as Apple Chief Executive, Tim Cook said the Cupertino, Calif., company has long aimed to be more transparent and believes the steps it is taking—including nearly doubling the number of supplier audits it does—are "raising the bar" for the industry.
US: "long aimed to be more transparent and believes the steps it is taking—including nearly doubling the number of supplier audits it does"
This is, oh why be polite, CRAP. You can scroll down and follow the link to their suppliers. Simply, they have to many to Audit it adequately. Let us tell you how this game works from having played it (note we will not tell how). Most "vendors" know when an Audit is coming. Time is spent the garbage in a bag and hiding in a closet. Employee's know not to talk for fear of retribution. Either/or the question is, why now? Why not when confronted with it way back when?
"I have spent a lot of time in factories over this lifetime and we are clearly leading in this area," said Mr. Cook, previously Apple's chief operating officer who oversaw its supply chain. "It is like innovating in products. You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem."
US: WTF??? Can somebody translate that for us??? Is there something difficult about being specific and say to vendor/subcontractors "You will treat your help like Humans or piss off?"
Apple's list of 156 companies came along with a major report—one of the company's largest ever—divulging the results of its recent factory inspections. While the company has long revealed some of its top suppliers, the new list covers those that represent 97% of its materials and manufacturing spending.
US: and the other 3%?
The list includes a range of global technology companies, such as Sony Corp. to IntelCorp., along with niche regional businesses such as Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co. Ltd.
US: Oh yeah, theres a heap of Wall Street listed corporations playing the game of we can't afford to use American workers and/or Pay American taxes when it is so much easier to engage in slave trading. It's not just Apple, Inc. It's MOST OF THEM!
The report said Apple found continued problems in areas such as working hours and inadequate benefits. For example, the report said Apple's suppliers were in compliance with the company's code of a maximum of a 60-hour work week only 38% of the time. The company said factories fared better in other areas like fair treatment.
The report found 108 facilities didn't pay proper overtime wages and 93 facilities had records that indicated more than 50% of their workers exceeded the 60-hour work week. The audits also found 5 facilities had incidents of underage labor.
US: O.K. so were a bit on the stupid side, but again we are confused. WTF did they mean by "The company said factories fared better in other areas like fair treatment." ??? Was that supposed to be a relative term or something? Fair? RELATIVE TO WHAT???
And oh yeah, in Feb of 2011 Apple said they had stopped the child labor! Whoops.
"Working hours is a complex issue," said Mr. Cook, adding he's confident the company can improve in the area by "monitoring these plants at a very, very micro level."
US: O.K. now, we are know that when you read the words, "Working hours is a complex issue," That you two have to be looking for your boots right about now.
"I know this is a journey," Mr. Cook said.
Mr. Cook said Apple has been sharing more of its findings about working conditions in its factories over time, but this year's update represents its most detailed. It comes as the drumbeat of criticism against practices across the company's ballooning supplier footprint has grown from prominent Chinese environmental activists and others. Many of those have taken aim at the company's prior unwillingness to disclose all the suppliers it works with.
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The report said Apple has taken new steps to better monitor and improve conditions at factories, including increasing audits in Malaysia and Singapore and expanding its worker education program.
US: AH HAH! In other words the drumbeat of unemployed Americans hollering meant little. It is the drumbeat of those they exploited that has finally got them going, hmmm, maybe we need to pretend like we are "shocked"!
The Fair Labor Association, a prominent labor standards non-profit, also said that Apple would join the group, opening it up to independent monitoring. In a statement, Apple's senior vice president of operations Jeff Williams said it was "extremely proud to be the first technology company admitted into the group."
Write to Jessica E. Vascellaro at jessica.vascellaro@wsj.com
Last note from US: At the risk of being redundant, which we do not mind being, if you want to know the truth of a matter, "follow the money"!Add to Technorati Favorites
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