Apple has commenced plans to improve practices and ensure best welfare options for its workers. This arose as a result of the recent maltreatment of workers by its factory management in China and India leading to the vandalization of a factory in India.
Reports claimed that workers vandalized an iPhone factory near Bangalore managed by Taiwanese Wistron because workers were not paid. Apple conducted an investigation and found out that workers’ payments in Wistron were delayed in October and November 2020 which is against its core objective to ensure workers are treated with dignity and respect, and are compensated promptly.
The incident caused Wistron factory $7 million worth of damage .
The allegations against Pegatron, another Apple factory management company, has to do with violation of the labour code by allowing student workers in China to work at nights and work overtime. Also, last week hundreds of workers protested at Pegatron’s facilities in Shanghai and the eastern Chinese city of Kunshan because they were owed wages and bonuses.
Investigations revealed that about 500 temporary workers, employed by local recruitment agencies in partnership with Pegatron, gathered outside the company’s Shanghai factory to protest on Saturday.
When invited to respond to the allegations leveled against them, Wistron’s and Pegatron’s Management declined the invitation and as a result were removed as executives. Although, Wistron had taken disciplinary action and was in the process of enhancing plans that would restructure her recruitment unit and payroll team.
As a fallout of this investigation, Apple has placed her second major supplier in Asia on probation; set up an hotline for workers to communicate their concern; put in place structures to ensure constant audits and surprise visits to its factories and suppliers
Brilliant.