Underage workers, unsafe working conditions, failed employment information and a lack of first aid supplies are just a few of the rotten things Apple has found in a report on its worldwide suppliers.
And it's cracking down on those facilities and its suppliers that are breaching its conditions.
In its Supplier Responsibility: 2011 Progress Report, in which it audited the facilities and management practices of 127 of its worldwide suppliers, it found 91 cases of underage labour, including 31 workers who had been hired prior to reaching the legal age, but were no longer underage or no longer employed at the time of the audit. Of these 98 percent had been recruited through schools or labour agencies.
One facility, although not named, bore the brunt of Apple's corporate wrath with the company claiming in its report: "We determined management had chosen to overlook the issue and was not committed to addressing the problem.
"Apple has terminated business with the facility."
It also went after facilities which fell foul of its standards. One was given the boot after Apple claimed it had "presented falsified payroll records and provided misleading interview answers to Apple's audit team," and another got its name on the black list after a facility manager reportedly "offered cash to Apple's third-party auditors, asking them to reduce the number of audit findings."
However, it seemed the troubled Foxconn plant came away with flying colours, despite reports of staff neglect, suicides and riots.
It began this part of its report stating: "Like many of our customers and others around the world, we were disturbed and deeply saddened to learn that factory workers were taking their own
lives at the Shenzhen facility of Foxconn."
It then went on to explain how in June last year Tim Cook and some of his Apple friends took a little road trip to meet with Foxconn CEO Terry Gou - someone who isn't exactly shy about pushing hard work and little benefits.
The cosy tete a tete led to Apple scrambling a team of suicide-prevention experts to "conduct a deeper investigation into the suicides, evaluate Foxconn’s response, and recommend strategies for supporting workers' mental health in the future."
It also interviewed 1,000 Foxconn workers, met with managers and looked at the working conditions.
After all its work Apple "commended" Foxconn for hiring psychological counsellors to prevent suicides, establishing a 24/7 care center, and "even attaching large nets to the factory buildings to prevent impulsive suicides."
It even went as far as claiming that Foxconn's actions, "definitely saved lives".
Apple added: "In addition, [Foxconn] have begun the process of expanding operations to other parts of China, enabling workers to be closer to their home provinces.
"Apple will continue to work with Foxconn through the implementation of these programs, and we plan to take key learnings from this engagement to other facilities in our supply base."
And it seems other factories got away lightly, getting a second chance rather than the axe.
One factory which was found to have concealed a production area from Apple’s audit team, preventing assessment of associated environmental health and safety risks, was given a slap on the wrist and required to fix all violations in this area. It was also forced to certify that all facilities used to manufacture Apple products were in future disclosed.
Another factory, in which a facility manager assembled workers and told them to provide false wage payment information to Apple auditors, was also let off the hook on the proviso that it produced the actual records and to better train its management staff in time for another audit this year.
And Apple wasn't going too hard on those factories which were found using n-hexane, a dangerous chemical, which if used in a closed work space can cause health problems. Although it dedicated a section to this subject, the company, which found that 137 workers at the Suzhou facility of Wintek, one of its suppliers, had suffered adverse health effects following exposure to n-hexane, merely ordered that the factory stop using the chemical. It also advised that the ventilation was sorted out.
"Since these changes no new workers have suffered difficulties from chemical exposure," Apple said in its report.
Sod the factory workers, what about this cruel and unusual treatment of the English language?!
Certainly other big firms doing business in China suffer from the same (although their profit margin per unit may be significantly smaller), and bringing attention to the problem is bound to better the conditions of workers albeit slowly and in small increments, as long as more oversight is exercised, but I seriously doubt that any fundamental change will be taken place any time soon.
In other words, many corporate employees, managers, murder but are not held responsible for their activity. Many articles have been written on such activity and the USA needs to hold such employees responsible for their sociopathic activity!
If you know of other companies who have engaged in illegal activity but have not been reported, please report activity:
Please read this as well:
As a corporate whistleblower, I have endured evil that includes attempts on my life, and possibly my teenage niece's life in Eugene, Oregon. In addition, I have endured corrupt police, apartment managers, city officials, hotel managers, etc. I mention the latter to provide a point.
When "bullying" is allowed to propagate, it becomes worse with time. In my case, I have been recorded in my private residences and perpetrators use directional audio to affect me emotionally. Such technology, when used illegally by sociopathic perpetrators, can cause a person to become angry. In turn, the victim appears bellicose. Similar activity can happen to other whistleblowers. The loss of a career is horrific. If an accomplished engineer can endure such hell, a new employee will be fearful of blowing the whistle as well.
As we know, whistleblowing is important for maintaining safe societies. Although some may agree with "punishment", I disagree. Instead, a proper investigation must be accomplished to determine a whistleblower claim. If the claim is discovered to be true, retaliation is inappropriate. In fact, retaliation is an example of organizational corruption. As such, management should utilize such episodes to educate management and employees. In some situations, management may have to be relocated or fired.
My personal experience with bullying by Abbott Laboratories and "friends of Abbott" have cause me to strongly consider suicide in the past. Currently, I am living in a hotel because of corruption. My experiences may be an extreme, but I actually spent one night in ICU and two weeks in a hospital after an attempt was made on my life. Afterwards, I spent 6 months in medical recovery, but I have not completely regained my previous fitness level. I have endured emotional abuse as well. You may not be aware but emotional abuse is considered worse than physical abuse. In fact, a WHO Multi-National study reports the latter. As we know, abuse often leads to suicide.
I left Abbott Laboratories in 2001, where I, as a chemical engineer, earned three Vice-President's awards, a personal visit by the CEO, and I optimized my area of the antibiotic process. Abbott Laboratories admitted to "harassment" in 2009 after my niece was personally hit by a hit-and-run driver.
The last thing we need is a return of a feudal system based on sociopaths versus honest people. Sociopaths continue retaliation because they're evil. Some people are psychopathic and become sociopathic. In some instances, a managers pride may be damaged so retaliation occurs. In these instances, upper management can cause significant changes by making a simple statement.
Here is an example of other pharmaceutical whistleblower experiences:
Kesselheim, Aaron S., MD, JD, MPH; Studdert, David M., LL.B., Sc.D., MPH; Mello, Michelle M., JD, PhD, M.Phil. Whistle-Blowers' Experiences in Fraud Litigation against Pharmaceutical Companies. The New England Journal of Medicine[online]. 2010. vol. 362, pp. 1832-1839. Available from: [http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr0912039].
§ I have the PDF if needed.
Please Support Whistleblowers:
• Please contact your Congressional Representative and ask them to support whistleblowers. In fact, Government Accountability Project has an "action" letter that is predesigned. If you like, you can ask your Congressional Representative to support my investigation as well. I could use your help since I have been bullied so severely that I am currently living in hotels. I have been told that Abbott Laboratories will force the Government to "admit" to an investigation and run me out of money. In Eugene, I was told I would be forced homeless and Eric Nielsen would remain "wealthy. I was also told that homeless deserve to die so I contacted Eugene's City Attorney. Later, two homeless were beaten to death, one was beaten and set on fire to die, and I was told a few more were beaten. Furthermore, my niece was sideswiped after perpetrators told me they would kill my family. In addition, please take about 30 seconds and sign a petition for Mr. Gayl, a man who saved our troops! [http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978754742]
• National Whistleblowers Center: [http://www.whistleblowers.org/] NWC.
• Government Accountability Project: [http://www.whistleblower.org/] GAP.
• National Security Whistleblowers Coalition: [http://www.nswbc.org/nswbc_staff.htm] NSWBC.
Also, honest police and citizens across the country should know about Directional-Audio. Although an excellent product, it can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Furthermore, the technology can be reversed engineered.
Please take a moment to watch the video if nothing else.
The perpetrators use directional audio, which is a very cool technology, but, like any technology, is horrific in the wrong hands. If you do not read my statement, I ask that you at watch the following video because drug traffickers and sex-traffickers could be using the device in your area. As you know, any technology can be reversed engineered.
A "worse-case" scenario: Imagine a corrupt police officer. That officer and you prepare for a drug bust. While walking, or running, to that bust, the corrupt officer receives an order without your knowledge. That order could be an "assassination" order for a person in the room by "accidental" means.
Directional Audio-Holosonics:
• [http://www.holosonics.com/] Directional Audio
To Whom it May Concern:
As a corporate whistleblower from Abbott Laboratories, I have endured evil. Although I earned three Vice-President awards, had a personal visit by the CEO, and I optimized my process, I was retaliated against. I left the "small world" of industry, got accepted to a Podiatric Medical program, was a top 24 student in my class, and "friends of Abbott" increased activity. My computer was hacked, my home and car was violated, and perpetrators in public commented on my private conversations whether the phone or alone. By the way, the podiatric program is six miles from Abbott Laboratories corporate headquarters.
My sociopathic perpetrators have continued and said they will affect me at any position. If I work at Starbucks, their "large family" and network will lie to managers to get me fired. When I move, I am bullied by directional audio continuously, which can be used for hypnosis if the victim is susceptible. By the way, directional audio can go though solid structures and some apartment/hotel managers will allow perpetrators to place electronic devices. The latter is especially true if the "price" is right. If they believe an investigation is occurring, they will reduce activity and increase it at a latter date. I have been told I will die no matter what the outcome so I should just commit.
I am running out of money, the directional audio makes my life hell and affects my ability to apply for new positions or study, and I am not receiving any assistance. Are corporations that important?
Does a person have to die before the federal government decides to save a life?