Apple admits Chinese iPod maker broke code of conduct

The firm despatched an audit team to investigate labour standards and randomly interviewed 100 employees.

While Apple said Foxconn was "in compliance in the majority of the areas audited," it did find violations and "areas for improvement" it is working to address.

Foxconn is also known as Hon Hai. It makes computer equipment for a huge range of companies including Dell, Intel and many, many others.

Apple found no evidence of the use of child or forced labour. Apple uses 15 per cent of a manufacturing facility with 200,000 employees. It inspected a wide range of dormitories but said the living conditions of three leased dorms weren't satisfactory. Two dorms had a large number of beds and lockers in an open space.

Workers earn "at least the local minimum wage" but the pay structure is "unnecessarily complex" and is hard for employees to understand. Foxconn has now fixed this.

Overtime payments were "subject to human error and relied too much on memory for dispute resolution".

There was no forced overtime but the biggest complaint was to do with overtime. Two employees reported that they'd been disciplined by being made to stand to attention.

"The supplier has launched an aggressive manager and employee training program to ensure such behavior does not occur in the future." This would be a different aggressive manager from the one that makes people publicly stand to attention, we guess.

Apple has hired a firm to audit all of its suppliers and keep an eye on what's going on. µ

See Also
Ipod maker admits breaking Chinese labour laws
Apple sweat shop claims disputed

L'INQ
Apple statement