Apple supplier Pegatron responds to BBC report on alleged worker mistreatment
Pegatron, one of the largest suppliers of Apple’s iPhones, has responded to a report aired last week by the BBC that supposedly exposed instances of the manufacturing company’s mistreatment of workers.
“In a statement filed on December 22 with the Taiwan Stock Exchange where the company is traded, Pegatron said it will inspect all the negative claims carried in the report and will start implementing improvements to ensure the problems are solved,” DigiTimes reports. “The company noted that it has established a high standard for and provided strict training to both its management and workers, and external inspectors also regularly check on its facilities to see if there is room for improvements.”
The company also said that it welcomes suggestions and complaints from employees, adding that 94 percent of grievances it received in 2014 were resolved within three days.
According to the BBC report in question, portions of which were obtained via secret filming (see clip below), Pegatron was found to be in violation of some of Apple’s supplier responsibility regulations regarding reasonable working hours, agreeable living quarters, and legal working age, among other areas.
If you can’t see the video embedded above, please click here.
Apple declined to give an interview for the report, but did issue the following statement to the BBC:
“We are aware of no other company doing as much as Apple to ensure fair and safe working conditions. We work with suppliers to address shortfalls, and we see continuous and significant improvement, but we know our work is never done.”
Following the airing of the report, Apple reportedly circulated an internal memo saying that officials at the company were “deeply offended” by the so-called exposé, titled “Apple’s Broken Promises.”
See also: Apple launches new iTunes blog on Tumblr initially highlighting Best of 2014, Apple releases OS X security update to address critical Network Time Protocol issue, and Op-Ed: Those bold Apple predictions for 2014 were largely off the mark.
