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Humpkin
It's illegal for foreign entities(such as FLA) to determine what's good labor ...
Humpkin
It's illegal for foreign entities(such as FLA) to determine what's good labor ...
Apple to let group monitor supplier working conditions
Dylan McGrath
1/13/2012 4:31 PM EST
SAN FRANCISCO—Bowing to pressure in the wake of a string of suicides at supplier Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. last year, Apple Inc. has agreed to join the Fair Labor Association (FLA), a watchdog group that independently assesses and monitors working conditions in factories around the world.
In a statement issued Friday (Jan. 13), the FLA said it would independently assess facilities in Apple's supply chain and report detailed findings on the FLA website. Apple is the first technology company to join the FLA as a participating company, the organization said.
Apple drew criticism last year after a string of more than a dozen suicides at Hon Hai, a contract manufacturer more commonly known by the trade name Foxconn. Some blamed the suicides on poor living and working conditions for Foxconn employees.
Foxconn builds iPads, iPhones and other products for Apple. The contract manufacturer also builds products for a host of other electronics companies, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc., Nokia Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
Earlier Friday, Apple released a report disclosing 156 of its suppliers, saying the listed suppliers represent 97 percent of Apple's procurement expenditures for materials, manufacturing and assembly of the company's products worldwide.
Established by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1999, the Fair Labor Association's stated mission is to improve working conditions in factories around the world. Other participating companies affliated with the group include Nike Inc., New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., New Era Cap Co. Inc and several others. The FLA said participating companies agree to uphold the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct throughout their supply chains and commit to the FLA's Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing.
In 2011, the FLA worked with Apple to assess the impact of Apple's training programs which help raise awareness of labor rights and standards among workers in its supply chain. Apple will align its compliance program with FLA obligations within the next two years, the FLA said.
"We found that Apple takes supplier responsibility seriously and we look forward to their participation in the Fair Labor Association," said Auret van Heerden, the FLA's president and CEO, in a statement.
In addition to conducting independent assessments of participating companies' supplier facilities, the FLA works with civil society organizations, universities and companies to develop and improve social responsibility programs and provide training and capacity building at the facility and brand level, the group said.
"We're extremely proud to be the first technology company admitted to the FLA," said Jeff Williams, Apple's senior vice president of operations. Williams said Apple performed more than 200 audits of supplier facilities around the world last year.
In a statement issued Friday (Jan. 13), the FLA said it would independently assess facilities in Apple's supply chain and report detailed findings on the FLA website. Apple is the first technology company to join the FLA as a participating company, the organization said.
Apple drew criticism last year after a string of more than a dozen suicides at Hon Hai, a contract manufacturer more commonly known by the trade name Foxconn. Some blamed the suicides on poor living and working conditions for Foxconn employees.
Foxconn builds iPads, iPhones and other products for Apple. The contract manufacturer also builds products for a host of other electronics companies, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc., Nokia Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
Earlier Friday, Apple released a report disclosing 156 of its suppliers, saying the listed suppliers represent 97 percent of Apple's procurement expenditures for materials, manufacturing and assembly of the company's products worldwide.
Established by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1999, the Fair Labor Association's stated mission is to improve working conditions in factories around the world. Other participating companies affliated with the group include Nike Inc., New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., New Era Cap Co. Inc and several others. The FLA said participating companies agree to uphold the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct throughout their supply chains and commit to the FLA's Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing.
In 2011, the FLA worked with Apple to assess the impact of Apple's training programs which help raise awareness of labor rights and standards among workers in its supply chain. Apple will align its compliance program with FLA obligations within the next two years, the FLA said.
"We found that Apple takes supplier responsibility seriously and we look forward to their participation in the Fair Labor Association," said Auret van Heerden, the FLA's president and CEO, in a statement.
In addition to conducting independent assessments of participating companies' supplier facilities, the FLA works with civil society organizations, universities and companies to develop and improve social responsibility programs and provide training and capacity building at the facility and brand level, the group said.
"We're extremely proud to be the first technology company admitted to the FLA," said Jeff Williams, Apple's senior vice president of operations. Williams said Apple performed more than 200 audits of supplier facilities around the world last year.
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rick.merritt
1/13/2012 5:05 PM EST
Kudos to Apple for taking this step. Yet ahead--bigger steps in helping provide more transparency about working conditions in the big electronics factories in China and elsewhere.
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dylan.mcgrath
1/13/2012 6:59 PM EST
I also take my hat off to Apple for being the first tech company to sign on for this. I am curious, though, how effective this relationship will be at ensuring that Apple's supliers are treating employeees properly and what action(s) Apple is prepared to take if/when it finds out that there are absuses.
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Humpkin
1/15/2012 2:01 AM EST
It's illegal for foreign entities(such as FLA) to determine what's good labor condition or not in other countries' soil.
Apple is a tech company, not a government; and neither is FLA.
"Labor conditions" is something that is entitled for each respective government to set. Each country has different standards, and if labor abuse happens, it is their respective government's concern to fix it. Not a foreign entity such as FLA to go around tell people what to do.
It's illegal for the US entities such as FLA to go around monitor other country's factories's labor conditions.
It is ILLEGAL for Apple even to specify and impose what labor conditions these factories need to comply in their contracts to begin with; therefore such are invalid.
Next time America try to pull BS to control other countries like this, you should be careful.
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t.alex
1/13/2012 11:05 PM EST
Who will follow suit after Apple?
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DrQuine
1/14/2012 10:26 AM EST
When labor rights, social responsibility, and vendor responsibility come together, consumers appreciate the transparency and everyone wins. These improvements also create moral and economic pressure on companies outside the immediate supply chain to improve their practices.
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citizen2000
1/14/2012 12:51 PM EST
The dust explosions at Apple supplier, foxconn has an interesting connection to the University of Michigan. In the 1990's Chinese scientists came to UM to study with an expert in industrial explosions like those that happened at Foxconn but when they returned to China these scientists went to work on weapons for the Chinese military rather than on improving safety. This has been a problem with these "dual use" technologies that our universities give freely to China, they often go to building up their military instead of to improving the lives of their citizens. Read more at www.china-threat.com
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Humpkin
1/15/2012 1:43 AM EST
Oh No. America is at it again.
In the name of "democracy," the US invaded Iraq.
And now, in the name of FLA, they try to invade other country's jurisdiction with all kinds of excuses.
As if FLA has some kind of jurisdiction overseas... After a long pondering of how to beat growing economic power of China, this is what these Powers-That-Be come up with.
Whether a factory meets labor conditions or not is a concern for its respective government. What they hell is this grouping FLA thinking they can police factories all around the world????
DO these idiots think this kind of intrusion scheme would really work???
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Humpkin
1/15/2012 1:59 AM EST
It's illegal for foreign entities(such as FLA) to determine what's good labor condition or not in other countries' soil.
Apple is a tech company, not a government; and neither is FLA.
"Labor conditions" is something that is entitled for each respective government to set. Each country has different standards, and if labor abuse happens, it is their respective government's concern to fix it. Not a foreign entity such as FLA to go around tell people what to do.
It's illegal for the US entities such as FLA to go around monitor other country's factories's labor conditions.
It is ILLEGAL for Apple even to specify and impose what labor conditions these factories need to comply in their contracts to begin with.
Sign in to Reply