14 DAY TRIAL // Foxconn has started reducing its reliance on Apple, but the Cupertino giant has been compensating for this (rumored) loss with Pegatron, another electronics assembler in China.
And just like the Mac is now getting more malware because of its growing market share, Pegatron is increasingly coming under fire for alleged safety and environmental violations.
According to the Wall Street Journal, New York-based nonprofit China Labor Watch is coming out with a report which claims its investigators have found that Pegatron is withholding worker pay and the identification cards these people would need to get a job elsewhere.
The nonprofit is also set to report poor living conditions at several factories owned by Pegatron Corp. and two of its subsidiaries.
Apple responded with a brief statement, singing the usual tune: “[Apple is] committed to providing safe and fair working conditions throughout our supply chain.”
The Cupertino giant says it has conducted 15 audits at Pegatron’s plants since 2007, including a couple of surprise audits.
But Apple never said it was all nice and well at Pegatron. The iPhone maker confirmed the withholding of worker ID cards in some cases, and that it demanded Pegatron “put a stop” to it.
Apple also plans to investigate the claims in the China Labor Watch report. If it finds that the accusations are legitimate, the American behemoth promises to take the necessary action.
Pegatron, for its part, said, “work hours are within local regulations and we will do our best to meet customer requirements. For the past two months, work hours have been below 60 hours a week.”
The Chinese electronics assembler also said that it is finalizing four new dorms, to ease crowding.
China Labor Watch is also reporting workweeks that exceed Apple's 60-hour limit on a regular basis, yet Apple said in a recent survey that Pegatron employees making its products worked an average of 46 hours a week.