The new Apple iPhones are just a day away from their announcement. In the run-up to the iPhone 11 series launch, a report has emerged highlighting the excessive use of temporary workers in a Foxconn factory.
China Labor Watch (CLW), a New York City-based labor watchdog, published the report on Sunday and claimed that more than half of the workforce employed in August at the largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, were temporary hires — or dispatch workers. They included student interns.
While Foxconn hasn’t commented on this, Apple has come out and said that during its investigation, it found that the percentage of dispatch workers exceeded its standards. “We are working closely with Foxconn to resolve this,” Apple said. CLW says that the number has now fallen from 50 percent to 30 percent, but that still violates Chinese labour laws.
The report also claims other rights violations at the factory including:
- Workers at the factory put in “at least 100 overtime hours a month” during peak production seasons, even though Chinese labor law states they must not work more than 36 overtime hours a month. Resignations are not approved for regular workers during peak season.
- Some dispatch workers failed to receive bonuses promised to them from the dispatch company.
- Student employees also work overtime during peak production season even though internship laws prohibit that.
- The factory does not provide workers with adequate personal protective equipment and workers do not receive any occupational health and safety training.
- The factory does not report work injuries.
Apple on Monday denied most of what is in a report. “We looked into the claims by China Labor Watch and most of the allegations are false,” Apple said in a statement. “We have confirmed all workers are being compensated appropriately, including any overtime wages and bonuses, all overtime work was voluntary and there was no evidence of forced labor.”
Apple’s supply chain has faced numerous criticisms over the years due to poor working conditions. For its part, the iPhone maker has to push suppliers to improve labor practices if they want to continue working with the tech giant. Foxconn has said that it is constantly monitoring the allegations at its Zhengzhou plant.
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