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Pod people redux
Jun. 14th, 2006 04:41 pmIn an interesting followup to my earlier post regarding the conditions in which iPods are manufactured in China (though this is not even close to being a problem endemic to Apple), Apple themselves have begun an investigation into the 'sweatshop conditions' that produce their 'iConic' product, among others. It seems that Apple's Supplier Code of Conduct (.pdf) (which itself follows the HP-developed IEC Code of Conduct (.pdf)) specifically outlines working conditions, labor practices and such which were clearly shown violated in the reports recently released. A nice summary of this is in the Wired News "Cult of Mac Blog".
China has become the factory du jour of countless American electronic, machine, computer and household industries. A lot of these industries have various 'codes of supplier conduct' (my company does) which reflect varying degrees of similarity to the IEC code above. It is no secret that Chinese working conditions are quite similar to those during the Industrial Revolution in the US, with little regard for working conditions, safety and workweek hours that we are familiar with today. To the Chinese, however, these just might seem like everyday goings-on. China has a eager work force willing to work the long hours for the pay that they receive. To many of them, it's a dream, especially compared to what they might have had before. As they work towards a more Western-style of society, they will come to realize the importance of the working conditions we enjoy in the US, Europe and other areas.
This is bound to get interesting. Will Apple hold Foxconn (the Chinese corporation contracted to manufacture iPods) to their Code of Conduct, or will certain 'concessions' be made to not interrupt the availability of their most famous product?
China has become the factory du jour of countless American electronic, machine, computer and household industries. A lot of these industries have various 'codes of supplier conduct' (my company does) which reflect varying degrees of similarity to the IEC code above. It is no secret that Chinese working conditions are quite similar to those during the Industrial Revolution in the US, with little regard for working conditions, safety and workweek hours that we are familiar with today. To the Chinese, however, these just might seem like everyday goings-on. China has a eager work force willing to work the long hours for the pay that they receive. To many of them, it's a dream, especially compared to what they might have had before. As they work towards a more Western-style of society, they will come to realize the importance of the working conditions we enjoy in the US, Europe and other areas.
This is bound to get interesting. Will Apple hold Foxconn (the Chinese corporation contracted to manufacture iPods) to their Code of Conduct, or will certain 'concessions' be made to not interrupt the availability of their most famous product?
