A Fair Labor Association (FLA) audit of working conditions at China’s Foxconn plant, which makes iPhones and iPads for Apple, found some violations, but the Chinese company says it will fix the problems.
A note (http://www.fairlabor.org/report/foxconn-investigation-report) at the FLA site has this to say: “On February 13, FLA launched an independent investigation into labor rights allegations at Foxconn, an Apple supplier in China. FLA assessors logged more than 3,000 staff hours inside the factories. They evaluated conditions based on visual observation and review of policies, procedures and documentation (payroll and time records, production schedules, employee records); interviewed hundreds of Foxconn workers and managers both on- and off-site; and conducted an anonymous worker perception survey of 35,500 randomly-selected Foxconn workers — providing an in-depth understanding of working conditions, particularly during peak production of Apple products. FLA found excessive overtime and problems with overtime compensation; several health and safety risks; and crucial communication gaps that have led to a widespread sense of unsafe working conditions among workers.”
In January Apple joined the FLA as a participating company. Progress reports and findings from Apple assessments will be published as they become available. For more info go to http://www.fairlabor.org .