(Image source: technorati.com)

BY LIAM KEEGAN

ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO


Apple is under intense media scrutiny over working conditions in its FoxConn factories in China.


That’s after a couple of high profile exposés -- especially this piece from The New York Times titled “In China, human costs are built into the iPad”. The article says FoxConn employees work …

“…excessive overtime, in some cases seven days a week, and live in crowded dorms. Some say they stand so long that their legs swell until they can hardly walk… and under-age workers have helped build Apple products.”

The story is stirring chatter about Apple’s responsibility to the workers.  Bloomberg writer Andrew Winston says the company should be doing more to improve working conditions in factories worldwide.

“Combine Apple's incredible earnings with the reality of life in its supply chain, and it's clear that the tech giant could afford to do much better by workers. It's not sustainable for any company to continue relying on people with such limited rights and life prospects ...”

And tech writer Dan Lyons tells CNN--  it’s up to Apple users to demand change.

“Our entire way of life is being brought about on the backs of people who are being treated in ways that we would never allow ourselves or our countrymen to be treated.”

But Peter Nowak for Canadian Business looks at it from another angle-- saying the media is blowing the story out of perspective. Nowak says the Times article doesn’t provide enough context -- and adds-- other outlets have been too quick to condemn something they know little about.


“... the real question media should be asking is whether Chinese workers are better off for those factories being there in the first place … There’s certainly room for improvement, but when it comes to things such as labour conditions and pollution, it’s hypocritical for Western governments and media to play the blame-and-shame game with China … ”

A communication worker in Washington D.C, has set up an online petition to put pressure on tech giants over working conditions in China. As of Tuesday afternoon, the petition has more than 150,000 signatures on Change.org.

(SOC)