Apple Computer Inc is investigating claims of poor working conditions at a Chinese iPod factory, the company said yesterday, vowing not to tolerate any labor violations.
The Cupertino, California-based company was responding to a report by a British newspaper, the Mail last Sunday, that alleged workers at an unnamed iPod factory were paid as little as ?27 (US$50) a month to work 15-hour shifts making the devices.
The Mail's report did not provide many details about the location or ownership of the factory, but its allegations provoked a vigorous response from Apple.
"Apple is committed to ensuring that working conditions in our supply chain are safe, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible," said a written statement from Apple's spokesman Steve Dowling.
"We are currently investigating the allegations regarding working conditions in the iPod manufacturing plant in China. We do not tolerate any violations of our supplier code of conduct," it said.
Apple's iconic iPod players are made abroad, mainly in China. The company has sold more than 50 million iPods since its debut in 2001.
Staff at Foxconn International Holdings Ltd (
Foxconn is an affiliate of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (
A spokeswoman for the company quoted in the state-run Bei-jing Times newspaper denied workers were mistreated at its factories.
"The labor department can come to our factory and investigate," the spokeswoman, identified only by her family name, He, was quoted as saying by the paper.
Apple adopted a code of conduct for its suppliers last Novem-ber, saying it was modeled after the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct and other labor standards. It bans child labor and sets a maximum of 60-hour work weeks, including overtime. The provisions also require suppliers to comply with applicable laws on minimum wages and to keep worker dormitories clean and safe.
Allegations of poor working conditions are rife in China and workers often are housed in rudimentary dormitories, fed poorly and subjected to poor pay, unsafe working conditions and other maltreatment.
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