Apple's Audit Prompts Improved Working Conditions

According to The Wall Street Journal’s article, Audit Faults Apple Supplier, Foxconn, a top supplier for Apple Inc., was recently audited for its labor practices and the results were not favorable. The investigation, conducted by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), revealed that at least 50 legal, code, or policy standards have been breached. The violations include, inadequate risk analysis, lack of heat protection for workers, and over 60 hours of labor per week for employees.

As seen in class discussion, these working conditions are not the first of their kind—the female factory workers in Bangladesh and India experience compatible conditions. This cycle perpetuates because the products being produced by those factories are still being purchased. Consumerism feeds the mouth of mega companies who are in partnership with these factories, such as Foxconn, all over the world.

Furthermore, countries penetrated by the imperialistic business model often become dependent on those new job opportunities, which replace previous agricultural practices. Though, the local economies do not necessarily receive the monetary benefits. As we read about Costa Rica in Thompson’s article, the large businesses that move into foreign land have easier access to credit, so they receive massive government subsidies and tax breaks for export production in agriculture and manufactured goods. “Thus agriculture, for example, has become dominated by large-scale production for export of commodities...”(196). So, globalization—what is seemingly meant to decentralize power—causes centralization instead. The mega companies benefit, not the workers or the economies of the poached countries.

In agreement with the FLA President and Chief Executive Auret van Heerden’s comment in this article, I do think that Foxconn’s commitment to reduce the overtime hours is an important step forward, as well as Apple’s commitment to change labor practices. They are setting an example for other companies who should follow. Also, it is a great responsibility of consumers to put pressure on companies to uphold labor conditions. Signing online petitions, such as through change.org, is a great way to carry speedy momentum for issues regarding rights issues such as child labor, human trafficking, and labor conditions.