Apple Admits Its Chinese OEMs' Bad Labor Practices
Apple has disclosed in its Supplier Responsibility 2009 Progress Report that some of its original equipment manufacturers in China were involved in bad labor practices.
Apple said that of the 83 OEMs which make iPhones and iPods in China, 45 did not pay the workers for overtime and 23 paid their employees less than the local minimum salary standard. Apple said that it would ask these Chinese OEMs to make adjustments to ensure that workers' rights are protected.
Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple, stated that since 2007, Apple has been conducting inspections of the employee working conditions in its OEMs and is taking measures to improve the work environment.
It is a common phenomenon for electronics OEMs to make deductions from workers' salaries. In February 2009, a report from the American National Labor Committee showed that Dongguan Meitai Plastic and Electronic Products Factory, an OEM for Dell and HP, forced employees to work 81 hours a week without paying them for the overtime. This was said to have also occurred with OEMs for Nike and Disney.
