back to article Apple sends independent inspectors into Foxconn factories

Apple has begun to send independent inspectors into its Chinese factories, a release today states. Apple's pledge to have its assembly line factories inspected by the independent Fair Labor Association (FLA) was part of its more rigorous Supplier Code of Conduct issued in January this year. It followed revelations about …

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  1. Dan Paul
    Pirate

    Again, the perfect moment to move Apple manufacturing to the USA

    As I said in previous comments, this is a perfect time for Apple to grow a pair and move production to the USA. I guarantee Apple will get some state Industrial Development agency to pay for everything, all they have to do is make a firm committment.

    Show that you have a social conscience, Apple and rid yourselves of China once and for all.

    1. Chad H.

      Perhaps

      But the Chineese worker is still cheaper, and willing to put up with more crap.

      One the of the labour groups had a press release this week looking at all the other chineese sweatshops, comparitvely speaking, Foxconn is one of the better places to work in China.

      When we in the west are willing to live like them, then maybe they'll stop taking our jobs.

    2. jai

      will the US employees work for the same wages? and in the same conditions? somehow, i seriously doubt it. otherwise, companies would be using the US (or anywhere else in the west) for manufacture.

      these companies aren't getting their products made in china to spite the US workforce, y'know. it's pure economics and capitalist forces at work. they're bid for the work is cheaper, so they get the work. if you want the jobs to be in the us, then set up a manufacturing plant that can produce the same components/parts at the same quality or less, then Apple will switch to using you as a supplier

    3. Armando 123

      Doubt it

      When the TAXES for one California employee can pay all the salaries/costs/etc for several in Asia, ...

    4. Richard Cartledge
      Meh

      Impossible

      Barack Hussein Obama asked Steve Jobs this very question...

      http://a2mac.org/2012/02/why-apple-products-going-to-china/

  2. Sir Barry

    I assume Foxconn will be paying the inspectors bills so everything will be hunky dory.....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Shitpeas?

      Is that you?

  3. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    When will HP, Dell etc do the same?

    I'd expect that will be a long time coming.

    Even this move by Apple won't be enough for the 'Death to Apple' Fanbois.

    At least Apple are trying to enforce some standards. It is a shame that everyone else isn't doing the same. If they did, then working conditions might improve for good.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Bullshit

      Apple are trying to look like they care and are doing something. They have done these inspections before and found cases of worker abuse and child labour. Their response was to issue a sternly worded letter saying tut tut don't do it again. If they were actually serious about improving working conditions then they would have clauses in their contracts forbidding things like that along with the right to have surprise inspections and have serious financial penalties if the supplier was found to be in breach of the contract. Repeated breaches should result in orders being withdrawn and given to other suppliers. This should apply to any supplier in a region that is known not to have any regard for its workers. That would show an actual commitment to enforcing decent working standards but then that would eat a little of their profit margin wouldn't it.

      Not saying that any of the other companies using far-east suppliers are any better but as Apple are media darlings they have a very large recognisable profile and are in a very good position to start making things better which would lead to others following suit.

      1. Ian Davies
        FAIL

        Bullshit is right

        If you could step off the waaaaaaambulance for a few moments and stop the nonsense falling out of the hole in the front of your skull, you would know that Apple *do* have clauses in all their contracts forbidding things like worker abuse and child labour. They *do* carry out surprise inspections. They *have* withdrawn contracts to repeat offenders.

        This stuff is all very simple for those of us who, you know, read.

        "Not saying that any of the other companies using far-east suppliers are any better..."

        "Not saying that my post has any fucking point whatsoever..."

        There you go, fixed that for you. You're welcome.

        When the list of tech companies allowing independent inspections from the Fair Labor Association has more than one name on it, then maybe you can come back and spout some more of your uninformed crap.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Cite your sources

          I can find plenty of articles where Apple have said that they will terminate contracts, also a few that say they have but there are no details in those reports. No names of the suppliers they have dropped, no details on the fines levied, no details on which supplier they moved to after terminating a contract. So all in all very vague with no concrete evidence which suggests to me it's all smoke and mirrors. The only mentions I can find of Apple dropping a supplier is when they got a better deal elsewhere.

          1. nexsphil

            re: Cite your sources

            Indeed. I'm quite shocked to see Ian Davies' childish, ludicrously emotional and completely insubstantiated flame post upvoted 5 times. Normally the calibre of Reg commentards is quite high. Almost seems as if there are an unnaturally large number of Apple 'fanbois' here today. But that's just me being cynical I hope. It wouldn't be like Apple to try to massage its public perception in such a way, would it?

  4. Khaptain Silver badge
    Go

    It's all in a good cause

    And everyone that comes down from the roof will receive a spanking newly conditioned iPhone 3g.

    There Apple made the world nice again.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Holmes

      What do the MS workers get ?

      A free Xbox

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/11/foxconn_mass_suicide/

  5. JC 2

    Well Kept

    At least these inspectors coming is going to be a COMPLETE SURPRISE, with not even a moment's notice to prepare coverup strategies nor plenty of time to delay suspicious visitors to the campus (not as though they can just hop out of their cars and waltz around the manufacturing floor without a lengthly delay to bring security escourts for their tour.

    What are all those children doing in the supply room closet? They live there of course!

  6. Tom 35

    Never assume

    "So we assume that although Apple has announced that these inspections will take place over the next few months, the exact timing of the inspections will be a surprise"

    It depends, do they want to fix the problems, or do they want to look like they are fixing the problems while not doing anything that might affect the stock price.

  7. Stuart Halliday
    Facepalm

    So we'll stop buying cheap fruit, clothes, shoes, coffee, chocolate too?

    Heck EVERY industry uses this form of cheap labour.

  8. Hooksie

    Stuart is right but Ian's still a dick

    When you look at the profits that these companies make then spunk on their chief execs while normal workers get paid a pittance, supply chain workers are lucky to get paid at all and the drooling masses continue to pay £100's for a device that costs considerably less than the manufacture costs it really does sicken you. Bad enough all that but to think that those same companies do little more than wring their hands when evidence of malpractice arises (and I'm NOT just talking about Apple here) is galling.

    iPhone's SHOULD be made in the US. There's absolutely no reason why they couldn't be, and the US might not be in as much of a hole if they were. Well trained, highly skilled far east workers making products for pennies to be bought by moronic and undereducated teenagers who don't appreciate what they have?? This world is just not right. Lowest price doesn't mean best.

    Ian, it is eminently possible to refute someone else's argument without resorting to personal attacks and arrogant language. If you have a point to make, kindly do so logically, reasonably and without insult to other board members. And yes, I am aware of the contradiction by my insinuating your likeness to a phallus, however, in my opinion you deserve the moniker.

  9. Andy Watt
    Thumb Up

    0-flame war in under 20 posts

    While I do enjoy a little constructive banter regarding Apple, the likes of Shitpeas, etc really are starting to sound a bit petulant, sullen and bitter, aren't they?

    Is it possible that being a high-profile company, and actively investigating worknig conditions, might be a good combination? It's the easiest thing in the world to shout "they wouldn't, wouldn't they", but what if they didn't? What if they fitted the other stereotype that Apple Inc is often accused off - haughty, silent, stand-offish - and didn't say a word, or do anything?

    As for manufacturing in the west - it'll happen eventually, but only after we've had the most enormous crash in living standards and cost of livnig imaginable. The sort where people end up subsistence farming on their gardens.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      No it won't

      The demographics are what beats the west, not the cost of labour (though that is certainly a factor). The West is not growing it's population. The developing nations have manpower in massive quantities, and China has shown the willingness to harness that manpower and have pulled 100s of millions of people out of poverty by doing so.

      There aren't any western countries capable of supporting the number of people required for FoxConn size enterprises, either in sheer numbers, or educational requirements.

      What SJ said to O' Bummer was right, the jobs are NEVER coming home, due to demographics and failed left wing educational philosophy of the last 30 years. The wage differential is never going to be in favour of the US until the US becomes a 4th world nation - which may be sooner than you think, no matter which clown is in the White House.

  10. Silverburn
    FAIL

    Some cunning rearrangement...

    and you get: Fair Association (of) Intolerable Labour

    <-- for those who missed it

    oh and it's a joke too btw - in case you missed that as well

  11. silent_count
    Joke

    "Heck EVERY industry uses this form of cheap labour."

    Au contraire! Not EVERY industry. It's not often that I get to say this but...

    Support your local ladies and/or gentlemen of the night! 100% local and likely to be quite expensive labour. Guaranteed not to be outsourced to China, India or anywhere else.

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