Apple admits it has a human rights problem

Apple admits it has a human rights problem

www.independent.co.uk

Thousands of Chinese factory workers will be given the chance to detail the punishing conditions on assembly lines producing Apple iPads and iPhones, after the US company bowed to criticism and agreed to allow independent inspections of its supply chain.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Great news!

We´ve all heard and read the stories about the high number of suicides within (chinese) factories producing goods for Apple.

They fear the constant negativity might have a negative effect on consumers buying their products.

I'm glad Apple finally agreed to let independent inspectors examine their supply chain.



www.independent.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Apple is one of many companies that use Foxconn for their parts. And as far as I am aware, they are the only company bothering to look into any of this.

Bout time. Let's hope they get Nike next!

And I am sure they will either limit the audits to certain factories that meet standards with happy workers present or they will clean up the ones in question just for the audits.

I have done product sourcing and QC in China for the last 7 years. Our factories do this type of thing every time I visit and we aren't even inspecting anything important or in the news for working conditions.

The average Chinese worker works in conditions and lives a life that most Westerners will never understand. Life is quite different when you have a population of people as large as that. People really start to lose any concern for others. It is sometimes required to lose your compassion in order to ensure you have food in your belly.

I know this isn't isolated to Chinese either, it happens all over the world constantly, and worse. Life truly does suck for most people.

Really believe it?

I do not for a second believe that anyone of these companies/persons is able to put the welfare of societies peoples ahead of any profit margin. Many companies have been forced into inspection but the reality is it does not change and nor are the companies punished to an extent wherein it matters enough to change.

Originally posted by Lulzaroonie
Apple is one of many companies that use Foxconn for their parts. And as far as I am aware, they are the only company bothering to look into any of this.

Thats a crazy thing to say.

Stop defending Apple for god sake.

reply to post by theubermensch


But I'm right though, whether I'm defending them or not...

reply to post by Lulzaroonie


You are right that "as far as you are aware?"
I think maybe you should look into it. (I'm not being a smartass here, just pointing out that that was a little absurd)

Also, they are one of the biggest companies in America when it comes to this kind of product. Maybe they are one of the only ones looking into it because they are one of the only ones using this kind of labor and the only ones being accused and getting bad publicity?

Anyword on any other smart phone or tablet maker using these production facilities.

Apple does not have "human rights" problems.

Communist China has human rights problems. The Communist party is getting wealthy off the slave labor of their captive citizenry and the slaves are getting sick of it.

There are no "human rights" only Individual Liberty.

This problem with Apple has been going on for a number of years. I often wonder why Steve Jobs gets such good press and such a fan following when he allowed this type of thing to continue. It is not as if we have not all heard the stories of abuse and woe to those unlucky enough to be making Apple products.

Steve Jobs (RIP) = Awe inspiring darling. To many people he was a “God”. Saviour of Apple. Role model and happy to have his gadgets manufactured in really poor conditions. Apple would not be able to get away with it in the States, which is why Apple shifted the manufacturing abroad!

Personally, I try to buy things which are not made in China. It's hard, but can be done if you try.

Regards

If only i wasnt such a pretentious hipster consumer blindly following every cheap marketing trick in the book, generaly I am very vocal with regards to admonishing people about morality, forcing my own closeted view of the world on them . But Apple using slave labour in China would normaly be something that outrages me, even to the point of wearing some sort of t-shirt[IRONIC RIGHT???].

But if truth be told Apple are just like so way super awesome and not having one would be like way totaly not cool. So you know i'll keep preaching to people about dolphins and boycott tuna, but im still like gonna way totaly support a global mass manufacturing system designed to enslave and destroy the planet with brutal totalitarian economics because IM JUST SUCH A ****ING HYPOCRITE.

Save the whales though guys!

Hope this is true though it could just be pandering.

The Chinese workers though aren't on the top list of people getting screwed over though. Nesquick still uses child slavery, this is just the tip of the iceberg!! Though hopeful this will make other companies follow suit. I don't care about the 23% of products this sh*t needs to stop.

Originally posted by Ixtab
If only i wasnt such a pretentious hipster consumer blindly following every cheap marketing trick in the book, generaly I am very vocal with regards to admonishing people about morality, forcing my own closeted view of the world on them . But Apple using slave labour in China would normaly be something that outrages me, even to the point of wearing some sort of t-shirt[IRONIC RIGHT???].

But if truth be told Apple are just like so way super awesome and not having one would be like way totaly not cool. So you know i'll keep preaching to people about dolphins and boycott tuna, but im still like gonna way totaly support a global mass manufacturing system designed to enslave and destroy the planet with brutal totalitarian economics because IM JUST SUCH A ****ING HYPOCRITE.

Save the whales though guys!

edit on 14-2-2012 by Ixtab because: (no reason given)

This would make for an awesome topic in the rant forum.

reply to post by kn0wh0w


Lol you know the sort though man, they are infact out there and lots of them. To an extent its not so much Apple thats the problem, its the morons who fall for there company marketing and product line that are the problem.

Realisticaly though if ipods and all the other guff where to made in the U.S or Europe those shiny little electronic trinkets would cost about ten times the current retail price. And im not entirely sure its the inherent badness within a company like Apple to use China, but there ultimatly bound by the system, just like everyone else.

To what extent they are complicit in the system, thats the thing though isnt it.

Originally posted by FinalAccount2008

Bout time. Let's hope they get Nike next!

That's a great song, thanks for turning me on to this band.

However I don't think this will ever change. Until we can get control of our own governments back from the Dictators and Slavers, we won't be able to change such outrageous human rights abuses either.

And as the economic disaster continues to unfold, just as it was planned and made to do, we will soon all find outselves working in similar conditions.

I myself have worked in a sweatshop under terrible conditions right here on American soil, with illegal immigrants, not just from Mexico but also from Asia, Africa and other countries and continents as well.

Originally posted by Lulzaroonie
reply to post by theubermensch

 

But I'm right though, whether I'm defending them or not...

I disagree, it's not right to defend slavers.

Originally posted by Lulzaroonie
reply to post by theubermensch

 

But I'm right though, whether I'm defending them or not...

Right about what? You are so eager to let them off the hook. You eat their bs up and say thankyou.

Its sickening.

Apple cares about profit. They know that public opinion is turning against them. This is just some half assed bs to make you nod your head.

reply to post by Lulzaroonie


It is true that they are one of many that us the companies to produce their products, but the problem comes from how Apple portrays themselves.

Apple is most likely one of the largest companies to use Foxconn. They get their products made for almost nothing yet they are far over priced for software that can be found at a lesser price. Not only that but Apple presents themself as the green company, the company that cares for the planet and the people, they have convinced the youth and the yuppies that they are some kind of great company when they are nothing but your average self serving monster.

Apple is bad, they do not care about you or what you think, they certainly do not care about the average Chinese worker. Apple cares about profit above all.

Sure others use Foxconn, but Apple stands above them in both size and the way they tell us how great they are.

Poo on Apple.

Raist

Yeah of course Apple are by far the largest company that uses Foxconn. They are a huge conglomerate and hell I'm going to talk about the elephant in the room...

For sure lets blame Apple, but lets blame people for buying their products in the first place. The large number of people that fall for the I Life crap and want every single one of their electronic products to be made by Apple. You know in this situation we can't even say, 'well what can you do, people demand low prices so companies have no choice to go to China and employ cheap workers...'
.No, Apple have overpriced products but people will buy them anyway, the advertising is that good it has people under their spell. Thats not to say that some Apple products are good, clearly they are excellent, but this is not the primary reason why most buy. Its to do with being seen as hip, being stylish and hell it doesn't matter how much the products costs, because I'm going to be seen using it in public dammit!

And I suspect that less people will post in this thread than are intrerested in the topic. Why? Because I bet that at least half of the posters own Apple products. They know they use immoral work practices, but they think its better not to be hypocrites. I don't agree. If I owned an Apple product (which I don't) I would still come here and say what they do is wrong.

To recap - overpriced, immoral and common. I can forgive somebody who buys a cheaper phone that also uses a sweatshop because they can't afford an expensive one. But generally speaking the Apple crowd have money to burn, if they are willing to pay out, its about time they demanded that Apple products be manufactured in the US or at least in factories with decent conditions.