Apple admits using child labour...

"At least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories which supply Apple.

The company did not name the offending factories, or say where they were based, but the majority of its goods are assembled in China.

Apple has been repeatedly criticized for using factories that abuse workers and where conditions are poor. Last week, it emerged that 62 workers at a factory that manufactures products for Apple and Nokia had been poisoned by n-hexane, a toxic chemical that can cause muscular degeneration and blur eyesight. Apple has not commented on the problems at the plant, which is run by Wintek, in the Chinese city of Suzhou."


Its sad to see that a company that takes in so much money uses Chinese children to work in its factories. Hey its the American way, anything to save a buck, am i wrong? Work conditions are extremely poor as it is, much worse that children are exposed to it also.


Source




[mod edit: link to original source]

[edit on 1-3-2010 by 12m8keall2c]

Perhaps if the capitalist system were not to exploit the supposed communist system then there'd be work for more people in America.

But gotta keep those middle class share holders happy right?

Worst case scenario the working class's taxes will bail them out anyway.

-m0r

reply to post by imeddieone4202003


mmmm...

Rather blame China actually.

They are the ones willing to manipulate their currency to allow for this. Along with letting all this other "stuff" slide.

Originally posted by m0r1arty
Perhaps if the capitalist system were not to exploit the supposed communist system then there'd be work for more people in America.

But gotta keep those middle class share holders happy right?

Worst case scenario the working class's taxes will bail them out anyway.

-m0r

So you'd be happy paying 5k for a MacBook?

Not saying it's right but in today's climate, that's what you could expect

reply to post by imeddieone4202003


I love going to stores like J.C. Penny and checking out the tags on different clothing items. They usually say something along the lines of "Made in China," "Made in Taiwan," "Made in India," etc.

Try convincing the people shopping at these types of stores that they are supporting child-slave-labor, and notice the glazed-over looks you get from them.

Usually there is "nobody home" if you catch my drift.

[edit on 3/1/2010 by dalan.]

Here's a great documentary expose on labor violations in China -- "Santa's Workshop" along with the West's complicity:

freedocumentaries.org...

I got my first job at 14. Under my own free will.

Its sad to see that a company that takes in so much money uses Chinese children to work in its factories. Hey its the American way, anything to save a buck, am i wrong? Work conditions are extremely poor as it is, much worse that children are exposed to it also.

I hope you get this upset about everything else you purchase. Everything from the shirt on your back, to the food on your table is most likely produced / picked / packaged / supported by some form of unsavory labor practice. I am not saying that it is the right thing to do but to single out an individual company is kind of simplistic.

How about getting the title for the thread right?

"Apple moves to stop child labor abuse by its suppliers"

Apple are the ones who investigated it.

Apple are the ones who cancelled contracts.

Apple are one of only a few company that actively and publicly name and shame human rights violators.

The report they produced also stated that suppliers must also inform employees of all their rights.

People should be congratulating them for it.

Originally posted by GreenBicMan

Rather blame China actually.

No, blame the free market. If it were not for the demand for these goods the factories would not exist. Or blame Apple. If they were more interested in ensuring proper working conditions in their supply chain perhaps there would be no issue. Or blame the idiots who buy the shiny bits of plastic because as they effectively support child labour by their purchases. This is a typical example of western ignorance where thinking that ignoring the root cause makes the problem go away.

How do you know the world is messed up? Millions of adults cannot find jobs to help put food on the table for their families, but millions of minors are employed to make iPods for people that eat too much food and can't think!

[edit on 1/3/2010 by Dark Ghost]

why the spin in the title of this thread? "apple admits"!!!!????
how about "apple uncovers" or "apple investigates"?

and, let's "admit" it. how easy is it to walk around in china and poke your nose into whatever you feel like? china is not exactly lollipop land.
nearly all manufacturing is done in china, now. the west is weak from it's excessive greed. the east will crush us soon enough.

some salient quotes from the article:

Apple said the child workers are now no longer being used, or are no longer underage. "In each of the three facilities, we required a review of all employment records for the year as well as a complete analysis of the hiring process to clarify how underage people had been able to gain employment," Apple said, in an annual report on its suppliers

Apple also said that one of its factories had repeatedly falsified its records in order to conceal the fact that it was using child labour and working its staff endlessly.

"When we investigated, we uncovered records and conducted worker interviews that revealed excessive working hours and seven days of continuous work," Apple said, adding that it had terminated all contracts with the factory.

Only 65 per cent of the factories were paying their staff the correct wages and benefits, and Apple found 24 factories where workers had not even been paid China's minimum wage of around 800 yuan (Pounds76) a month.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
How do you know the world is messed up? Millions of adults cannot find jobs to help put food on the table for their families, but millions of minors are employed to make iPods for people that eat too much food and can't think!

[edit on 1/3/2010 by Dark Ghost]

How immature and just flat out stupid of you to say. You for sure just admitted that your knowledge of the US is built on false stereotypes! What else dont you know and take other peoples word on?

HEY DARK GHOST, OPRAH CAUSED 9/11 PASS IT ON.

Originally posted by A-E-I-Owned-You
How immature and just flat out stupid of you to say. You for sure just admitted that your knowledge of the US is built on false stereotypes! What else dont you know and take other peoples word on?

HEY DARK GHOST, OPRAH CAUSED 9/11 PASS IT ON.

Umm, what?

You are aware that life exists outside your own country, right?

1) Read, analyse and then quote to me how you reached those preposterous conclusions.
2) Please show me how I referenced the USA or the events of 9/11.

If you cannot do these things then I think you need to read over your reply and realise that you are guilty of one of the biggest misinterpretations in Internet history.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost

Originally posted by A-E-I-Owned-You
How immature and just flat out stupid of you to say. You for sure just admitted that your knowledge of the US is built on false stereotypes! What else dont you know and take other peoples word on?

HEY DARK GHOST, OPRAH CAUSED 9/11 PASS IT ON.

Umm, what?

You are aware that life exists outside your own country, right?

1) Read, analyse and then quote to me how you reached those preposterous conclusions.
2) Please show me how I referenced the USA or the events of 9/11.

If you cannot do these things then I think you need to read over your reply and realise that you are guilty of one of the biggest misinterpretations in Internet history.

Your attempt to sidestep will not work with me.

1. , 2.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
to make iPods for people that eat too much food and can't think!

Considering Apple is an American company and sells most of its products to Americans, I do not see how you can not see my issue.
Sales:
en.wikipedia.org...

My reference was a joke at your expense about you believing anything you are told including dumb stereotypes. I went so far as to claim that Oprah was responsible for 9/11 in hopes that you would believe it for a good laugh on my part at your expense.

I'd have a problem with this except for a few things.

The so-called children were 15 years old.

Apple doesn't own the factory.

For all you know those "15 year old children" have families of their own. In some societies people marry and have children at a young age. Next time you are around a library, pull a copy of Wilder's "Little House on the Prairie" off the shelf and check out the ages of the main characters. I think he was around 16 and I think she was 14.

So get off your Liberalist, anti-Capitialistic high horse and wake up to the real world.

Originally posted by A-E-I-Owned-You

Your attempt to sidestep will not work with me.

Considering Apple is an American company and sells most of its products to Americans, I do not see how you can not see my issue.
Sales:
en.wikipedia.org...

My reference was a joke at your expense about you believing anything you are told including dumb stereotypes. I went so far as to claim that Oprah was responsible for 9/11 in hopes that you would believe it for a good laugh on my part at your expense.

Nothing to side-step because you have misinterpreted what I said. I will explain what I said if it makes you feel better.

My original quote:

How do you know the world is messed up? Millions of adults cannot find jobs to help put food on the table for their families, but millions of minors are employed to make iPods for people that eat too much food and can't think!

Explanation:
"Millions of adults cannot find jobs" was a reference to the Global Economic Crisis affecting most of the world, especially those in the West.

"Millions of minors are employed" (this was actually a stab at countries that use children for work hire, China is one that comes to mind.)

"People that eat too much food and can't think" is referencing people ALL OVER THE WORLD that have things easy for them and don't have to do anything. There are lots of wealthy people that eat excessively and don't have to use their brain to experience success.

I was using satire to illustrate that WORLD WIDE things are so bad that kids/teenagers can get jobs more easily than adults. This was not an attack on the USA or people living there. What I was implying is that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That feels more than ever like the present and people around the world are experiencing that feeling. Stories like these serve as a reminder.

Edit: After reading the article I agree with beta.services as the title of this thread is misleading.

[edit on 1/3/2010 by Dark Ghost]

reply to post by beta.services


Yea, they audit after 8 years of being accused of it. This is only one supplier. As for those of you proclaiming it's ok for 15 year old to work 60 hour weeks in dangerous conditions...I'd like to see you send your kids to that gig.

If you subcontract someone to do a job for you and they break rules, you will be held responsible for what they did. That's general knowledge in this country. Why does it somehow change when that contractor was Apple? They didn't terminate the contract. The article states that and every other version I've read never says they terminated the contract. It says this:

Apple said that in response to finding child labor policy violations, it required a review of all employment records at facilities where the violations took place to determine how the hiring of underage workers happened. The company also said that it required affected facilities to put processes in place to prevent that from happening again.

In other words "Oh, you stop that naughty stuff!". If you seriously think think Apple or any other company is going to stop using these contractors who abuse workers you have been smoking the iPipe i think.