With the news of the 15-year-old worker dying at the Pegatron factory which makes the iPhone 5c, attention is once again turning to worker treatment at Apple’s suppliers/contract manufacturers.
The news in this case is that Foxconn Technology Group — while making progress improving factory working conditions — is still failing to limit the number of overtime hours its Chinese workers carry out.
A recent audit from the Fair Labor Association suggests that workers are regularly working 60 hour weeks — in violation of the 49 hours stipulated as the Chinese legal limit.
Apple initially invited the FLA to audit three of Foxconn’s factories in China after it was criticized for working with the suppliers, whose factories (which employ around 180,000 workers at a time) have seen a number of employee suicides.
Foxconn said on Thursday that FLA’s audit shows “substantial overall progress”, although the company recognizes “that there is more to be done, and that we must continue to sustain this progress and further enhance our operations.”
Apple has not commented.
Source: PC Advisor
