Apple drops supplier over underage labor violations, hails ‘high compliance’ with reducing excessive work hours

Apple severs relationship with supplier over underage labor violations

Apple’s latest Supplier Responsibility Report has just been published, detailing 393 audits focused on the plants and suppliers that help make all that hardware. The audit number is a 72 percent increase in what it covered in its last annual report, while Apple was also quick to highlight its contracting companies’ high compliance (92 percent) with a maximum 60-hour work week. Senior vice president of operations Jeff Williams told Reuters that underage workers and limiting working hours were two of the most challenging issues it faced in its supplier audits. Apple decided to end business relations with component maker Guangdong Real Faith Pingzhou Electronics over underage labour issues. “We go deep in the supply chain to find it,” said Williams. “And when we do find it, we ensure that the underage workers are taken care of, the suppliers are dealt with.”

Update: As 9 to 5 Mac noticed, the supplier report also contains another notable detail: it lists Freemont, California-based Quanta Computer as one of Apple’s final assembly facilities.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: AllThingsD, Reuters

Source: Apple

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall

Just how confident is Microsoft that its Surface tablets will take off? To the tune of 3 to 5 million units shipped in the fall alone, according to the Wall Street Journal‘s supplier contacts. While that wouldn’t be much when Apple already ships more than three times as many iPads, even discounting the supposed 10 million tiny iPads coming this fall, it would represent a strong start for a company that’s only just dipping its toes into own-brand computing. Microsoft isn’t confirming any numbers at this stage, but the large production volume might explain that Busby Berkeley-style TV ad — you’d want a full song and dance routine if you had that many Surfaces to sell.

Filed under: ,

Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Samsung finishes initial Chinese factory audits, plans long-term solutions to labor woes

HEG electronics student workers

Samsung faced some serious allegations surrounding the plants of its Chinese contractor HEG Electronics earlier this month, including potentially dire accusations that HEG was employing child labor. The Korean firm promised audits to set the record straight, and we’re seeing the first fruits of those inspections today. The results were decidedly mixed. While there weren’t any underage workers when Samsung visited, it did find HEG staff working excessive overtime, some unsafe practices and a system that punished late workers with fines. Samsung’s response will go beyond just asking HEG to shape up, though: it plans to finish auditing all 105 of its exclusive Chinese contractors by the end of September, determine whether inspections of non-exclusive contractors are needed and set up a long-term audit schedule past 2013 that includes tougher requirements. While there’s no certainty that the reforms will lead to the intended results, we’re glad to hear that Samsung wants to turn things around at such a rapid pace.

Filed under: ,

Samsung finishes initial Chinese factory audits, plans long-term solutions to labor woes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung Tomorrow  | Email this | Comments