Allegations of Worker Abuse at Another Apple Supplier

Apple is once again coming under fire because of working conditions at its suppliers’ Asian factories. This time China Labor Watch is reporting abuses at Pegatron.

The Wall Street Journal’s Paul Mozur, Chao Deng and Eva Dou reported, ” A new report from a Chinese workers-rights group alleges labor abuses at a major Apple Inc. contractor the company has been using more as it shifts some work from longtime supplier Foxconn. The report, set to be released on Monday by New York-based nonprofit China Labor Watch, alleges safety and environmental violations; the withholding of worker pay or the identification cards they need to work elsewhere; and poor living conditions at China-based factories owned by Taiwan’s Pegatron Corp. and two subsidiaries.”

Reuters quoted the report, which alleged, “The Pegatron factories are violating a great number of international and Chinese laws and standards as well as the standards of Apple’s own social responsibility code of conduct.”

According to Bloomberg, “Apple Inc. will investigate allegations by advocacy group China Labor Watch that factories run by Taiwanese supplier Pegatron Corp. use underage workers, pay insufficient wages and force employees to work overtime.”

The Register quoted an Apple statement, which said, “We have closely tracked working hours at all of these facilities. Our most recent survey in June found that Pegatron employees making Apple products worked 46 hours per week on average. Excessive overtime is not in anyone’s best interest.”