Apple warns Pegatron on worker rights

There’s a big business in security

Apple will not give Pegatron any new business until the company resolves abuse of key elements of the agreed Apple Supplier Code of Conduct program, the company has confirmed.

Pegatron to get no new business

At issue is Pegatron’s treatment of student workers. It is alleged that the company misclassified these workers, falsified paperwork to disguise this, and may have breached the code elsewhere. Apple has not found any evidence of forced or underage labour.

An Apple statement says:

“Apple has placed Pegatron on probation and Pegatron will not receive any new business from Apple until they complete all of the corrective actions required.” Apple did not declare the terms of the probation.”

Apple also said those at Pegatron who had been responsible for these violations “went to extraordinary lengths” to stop being caught.

A big issue

The treatment of workers across Apple’s supply chain has been a big issue for decades. Apple and its suppliers were eventually convinced to begin to address these problems, but even today there continue to be reports of poor practise.

That Apple has gone on the offensive against one of its suppliers should probably be seen as a significant warning to all its manufacturing partners that the company is at last adopting a zero-tolerance approach to such matters.

It is, however, also important to ensure manufacturing workers have strong protection against such exploitation, particularly as Apple moves factories to other nations.

Apple continues to commit to ever stronger policies concerning worker treatment at its suppliers. The fact it is openly enforcing them against Pegatron is probably a good sign.

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