Apple partners used underage workers
Apple’s level of engagement and disclosure, not to mention the media’s attention thereto, on the issues of green practices and supplier responsibility are perhaps unprecedented. Nevertheless, expect a cadre of the usual hand ringers to piss and moan that not enough is being done.
Quoting from Apple’s recently released 2010 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report (.pdf), The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple investigators uncovered three locations where its suppliers employed underaged workers, which the company refers to as a “core violation.” In all, 11 underage workers (the youngest being 15) were said to have been employed at one time or another, but that the individuals in question are either no longer employed by the unnamed companies or are now of legal age.
“A core violation is the most serious class of violation,” Apple said in the report. “It refers to any practice or situation that we consider to be contrary to the core principles underlying Apple’s Supplier Code of Conduct and to require immediate corrective actions.”
Apple auditors inspected records, facilities and workers at 102 locations around the world. As part of the program, about 133,000 workers, supervisors and managers have been trained to adhere to Apple’s supplier code of conduct.
Glass houses
There’s an unseemly irony in a nation of fat people that are in debt up to their ears telling people in other countries to adhere to a higher code of conduct. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for such finger wagging, but Americans might be singularly unqualified to lead the effort.
Then again, since when have our own transgressions stopped us from lecturing others? The folks pushing this agenda are likely immune to the concept of irony or any similar distraction, and won’t be satisfied with Apple’s efforts.
Perhaps my hand ringing over this hand ringing is misplaced. Really, Apple’s a lean mean corporation machine led by a really skinny guy that some believe is a messiah…
What’s your take?
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February 28th, 2010
Apple does no evil, or at least strives to do do evil in my view; unlike other corporation….. go ahead see if you can burst my bubble!
February 28th, 2010
Apple is a multi billion dollar company. That is, multi billion dollar profit company – its nothing to do with the country they come from, its the company they run and their reputation. Consequently, they should definitely be leading the charge to make the poorer countries adhere to stricter rules.