Apple continues to abuse Chinese labourforce

Thomas Eshuis · #1 by **Thomas Eshuis** » Dec 19, 2014 11:12 am

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30540538

Secret video of 'exhausted workforce' in Chinese factory making Apple products

18 December 2014 Last updated at 19:02 GMT

A BBC investigation for Panorama has exposed poor working conditions in factories making Apple products in China.

The undercover team secretly filmed the iPhone production line and found Apple's promises to protect workers were routinely broken.

One undercover reporter - making parts for Apple computers - had to work 18 days without a day off.

Other workers were filmed falling asleep. Apple say they will investigate any concerns brought to them.

aban57 · #2 by **aban57** » Dec 19, 2014 9:50 pm

"Ohhhh we're so sorry about that, we absolutely didn't know. We'll change that as soon as possible"... and move production to another factory with the same problems, until the next undercover journalist uncovers it...

laklak · #3 by **laklak** » Dec 20, 2014 2:04 am

At least when other companies use slave labor we get a break on prices.

johnbrandt · #4 by **johnbrandt** » Dec 20, 2014 3:21 am

I had a picture (which I of course can't locate now) which someone sent me in an email, of just one of the factory assembly lines from back when the iPhone 5 came out. It had endless rows of people at long conveyor stations in clean gear assembling the phones. The vast area was packed with people and assembly lines. It said something like this was just one assembly area of several in the factory and produced several tens of thousands of phones every day. The tag line was "Remind me again why these things cost $800 each...?"

johnbrandt · #5 by **johnbrandt** » Dec 20, 2014 3:28 am

Found it...at least a version of it. The other one had the comment about how much we pay for each one on it.

I'm quite sure Apple is very sorry.

Sorry they got caught...

Sciwoman · #6 by **Sciwoman** » Dec 20, 2014 4:52 am

Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

orpheus · #7 by **orpheus** » Dec 20, 2014 5:21 am

Sciwoman wrote:Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

I was just going to post:

Like Foxcomm, Pegatron is a contract manufacturer, and Apple is not its only client. According to the Wall Street Journal it manufactures products not only for Apple, but also for companies such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell. The WSJ only named these, but "such as" indicates that there are probably others as well. Moreover (and I wish I could find the source) I recall reading that Apple is far from its biggest client.

Apple is in the hotseat now. But (again) as with Foxcomm, how do other companies fare? Are they any better?

Thomas Eshuis · #8 by **Thomas Eshuis** » Dec 20, 2014 9:58 am

Sciwoman wrote:Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

Briton · #9 by **Briton** » Dec 20, 2014 10:07 am

If only Apple's products weren't so tightly priced they might be able to ensure their workers (subbies) were treated half decently. :roll:

I'm With Stupid · **#10** by **I'm With Stupid** » Dec 20, 2014 6:47 pm

It's true that companies other than apple use these factories, but I think it's legitimate to criticise a premium manufacturer selling extremely expensive products and making vast profits more than a company making budget offerings. When primark use low cost labour you can understand why. When burberry do it and then sell the resulting product for 5 times the price of the high street, I think they deserve more criticism.

SafeAsMilk · **#11** by **SafeAsMilk** » Dec 20, 2014 7:59 pm

Thomas Eshuis wrote:
Sciwoman wrote:Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

Thomas Eshuis · **#12** by **Thomas Eshuis** » Dec 20, 2014 8:08 pm

SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
Sciwoman wrote:Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

SafeAsMilk · **#13** by **SafeAsMilk** » Dec 20, 2014 8:09 pm

Thomas Eshuis wrote:
SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
Sciwoman wrote:Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

And that's a good reason for them to give all the other companies a pass because...

orpheus · **#14** by **orpheus** » Dec 20, 2014 8:14 pm

Thomas Eshuis wrote:
SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
Sciwoman wrote:Don't other manufacturers of electronic devices also use similar factories for their goods?

I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

Bigger than Microsoft?

Boyle · **#15** by **Boyle** » Dec 20, 2014 8:30 pm

orpheus wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

Bigger than Microsoft?

Apple's market cap is 1.6x Microsoft's. And it's the company with the highest market cap in the world by $200 billion dollars.

If you mean by employees, no, I don't think so.

Stumped · **#16** by **Stumped** » Dec 20, 2014 9:10 pm

Not really surprising

Thomas Eshuis · **#17** by **Thomas Eshuis** » Dec 21, 2014 12:00 am

SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

And that's a good reason for them to give all the other companies a pass because...

You'd have to ask them. I was just guessing as to their reasons....

Thomas Eshuis · **#18** by **Thomas Eshuis** » Dec 21, 2014 12:00 am

orpheus wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
SafeAsMilk wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
I'm sure some do. 'Twas Apple that was the topic of this news item.

And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

Bigger than Microsoft?

Which part of "one of" do you not understand?
Also see my post above.

orpheus · **#19** by **orpheus** » Dec 21, 2014 12:42 am

Thomas Eshuis wrote:
orpheus wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
SafeAsMilk wrote:
And the reason why they chose to point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing is because...

It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

Bigger than Microsoft?

Which part of "one of" do you not understand?

Well, of course you're correct: saying that Apple is "one of" the biggest and most expensive does not exclude others from that category. Now, the question was not "why point out Apple?". Rather, it was "why point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing?" To answer that question, you need to say what makes Apple different than the others. The fact that it's only "one of" is precisely what makes your answer a non-answer.

Also see my post above.

Which one? Thread's moving fast - I'm not sure which one you're referring to.

edit: clarity

Thomas Eshuis · **#20** by **Thomas Eshuis** » Dec 21, 2014 12:51 am

orpheus wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
orpheus wrote:
Thomas Eshuis wrote:
It's one of the biggest companies in the world? As well as being one of the most expensive, relatively speaking.

Bigger than Microsoft?

Which part of "one of" do you not understand?

Well, of course you're correct: saying that Apple is "one of" the biggest and most expensive does not exclude others from that category. Now, the question was not "why point out Apple?". Rather, it was "why point out Apple rather than all the other companies doing the same thing?" To answer that question, you need to say what makes Apple different than the others. The fact that it's only "one of" is precisely what makes your answer a non-answer.

Also see my post above.

Which one? Thread's moving fast - I'm not sure which one you're referring to.

edit: clarity

The one where I said, you should ask the BBC why they only discussed Apple.
That I was just guessing at their reasons.

Apple continues to abuse Chinese labourforce

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