Apple supplier denies charges of unsafe, unclean conditions
The charges highlight the difficulty of managing complex global supply chains - even for companies with ethical sourcing as a priority.
An Apple Inc. supplier in eastern China has denied allegations by a New York rights group that its workers toil for ten-hour shifts in loud, polluted conditions, without proper overtime pay or adequate safety protections to make MacBook and iPhone parts.
The manufacturer was responding Wednesday to a report by China Labor Watch that an undercover investigation from October to this month found workers without proper gloves and irritated, peeling skin, among other safety hazards. It said the workers were accommodated in filthy dormitories with cold showers that lacked emergency exits.
The charges highlight the difficulty of managing complex global supply chains - even for companies that have publicly embraced ethical sourcing as a business priority.
Apple Inc. said an inspection found no evidence the factory was violating its standards.