China: Apple subcontractor still pinned to violations of labor law

Legal: A plant belonging to the subcontractor Jabil Circuit, which produces parts for the future Apple smartphone cheap, violated several laws, including overtime and working conditions, reports a local NGO.




An undercover investigation conducted by China Labor Watch (CLW) found that Jabil Circuit, electronics manufacturer headquartered in Florida, violated local laws labor law and its own code of conduct 23 points. This was noted at its plant in Wuxi (East China), where production has been increased for the future low-cost iPhone that Apple prepare.

The CLW report (PDF) cites poorly trained workers who have to work standing for 11 hours every day without another pause a break 30 minutes for lunch. They also experienced discrimination related to age and pregnancy.

Apple sent its own investigators

Apple said in a statement yesterday that it has sent a team to the Wuxi plant to investigate the claims of CLW, according to AllThingsD . "We take any questions regarding our suppliers very seriously, and our group of experts is on hand to Jabil Wuxi watch what is new complaints about the conditions there," said Kirstin Huguet, a Apple spokesman.

CLW's report mentions the case of a factory worker who had to run for his 30-minute break for lunch, the journey through security checks leaving him only five minutes to eat. CLW also notes that the plant has a cafeteria for 30,000 employees who have accumulated more than 100 additional hours in a month, three times more than what is permitted by Chinese laws. The plant produces plastic shells that would be used for future economic Apple iPhone.

In July, CLW published a report separate, which showed how the U.S. smartphone maker had failed to keep its promise to improve working conditions in factories in China who assemble Apple products. The NGO had made a list of 17 broken promises by the Cupertino, whose refusal to hire workers under the legal age limit of working time to 60 hours per week.

CLW was published in 2012 surveys, high-tech side, eight Samsung factories and the Chinese subcontractors Apple .