Apple shuts down China factory

[indian_foxhound]

Tech giant Apple has sacked one of its China-
based suppliers after discovering it employed
dozens of child workers. The firm stepped up audits of working
conditions at major suppliers last year,
discovering multiple cases of underage workers,
discrimination and wage problems. According to the Telegraph, in one case, Apple
said it terminated its relationship with a
component maker Guangdong Real Faith
Pingzhou Electronics after discovering 74 cases of
underage workers. The firm also discovered an employment agency
that was forging documents to allow children to
illegally work at the supplier. Apple relies heavily on Asian-based partners like
Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group to assemble
the vast majority of its iPhones and iPads. The iPhone maker said on Thursday it had
conducted 393 audits in 2012, up 72% from
2011, reviewing sites where more than 1.5
million workers make its gadgets. According to the paper, the programme of
inspections has been stepped up following
accusations of Apple building its profits on the
backs of poorly treated and severely underpaid
workers in China. That criticism came to the fore around 2010, after
reports of suicides at Foxconn drew attention to
the long hours that migrant laborers frequently
endure, often for a pittance in wages and in
severely cramped living conditions, the report
added.
http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_apple-shuts-down-china-factory-over-employing-dozens-of-underage-workers_1792818