Apple says it is “deeply offended” by BBC claims about the conditions being experienced by some of its workers. A BBC documentary screened in the UK said that the company had breached riles about hours, dormitories and ID cards.
Senior Apple boss Jeff Williams claimed that no other company was doing as much as Apple to improve conditions for their workers although he did say that there was room for improvement,
In a staff email, senior Apple executive Jeff Williams said he knew of no other company doing as much as Apple to improve conditions. The documentary had featured “exhausted” Chinese Apple workers and children working in dangerous tin mines in Indonesia.
Apple refused to send someone to speak on camera after the BBC claimed that illegal tin was entering its supply chain. The e-mail written by Mr. Williams was published in UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph and sent to 5,000 staff members. Mr. Williams said that “facts and perspective” were missing from the documentary. He said “We are honest about the challenges we face and we work hard to make sure that people who make our products are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
The BBC Panorama program depicted workers at the Pegatron factories near Shangai falling asleep after 12-hour shifts, with one undercover reporter being forced to work for 18 consecutive days. Mr. Williams said that Apple has made a significant effort to audit working hours, implementing a 60-hour limit, which he claims has been met with 93% compliance.
Do you feel that the documentary was fair? Are Apple doing enough to improve working conditions? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.