Footage now available on YouTube for everyone to see

Dec 19, 2014 15:48 GMT  ·  By

A 50-minute documentary (including ads) by the BBC shows a reality that contradicts nearly every claim in Apple’s annual Supplier Responsibility Report. The video is up on YouTube and available for everyone to see.

Chances are the documentary will be taken down from YouTube at Apple’s request, considering the vehement response it issued after the news hit the wires. In other words, hit the play button sooner rather than later if you’re keen on learning what life is like for the actual workers who built your shiny iPhone or Mac.

The Panorama report

In a shorter video, the BBC offers a roundup of its findings in the Pegatron facilities where iPhones are tested. The broadcaster sent undercover reporters to obtain information about the working conditions and the treatment served by factory managers. We’re sad to admit that none of the claims made by the undercover workers were surprising, because the same things happened (and probably still do) at Foxconn, where similar actions were taken to reveal the truth about the workers’ lives.

The video documentary comes with a brief description on behalf of the uploader, which doesn’t seem to be affiliated in any way with the BBC.

The description states, “Apple is the most valuable brand on the planet, making products that everyone wants - but how are its workers treated when the world isn't looking? Panorama goes undercover in China to show what life is like for the workers making the iPhone 6. And it's not just the factories. Reporter Richard Bilton travels to Indonesia to find children working in some of the most dangerous mines in the world. But is the tin they dig out by hand finding its way into Apple's products?”

Apple embarrassed

Apple refuses to be slammed for what’s happening in China and other parts of the world where it relies on partners to obtain materials, produce parts, and assemble gadgets altogether.

Despite acknowledging its suppliers’ wrongdoings, it claims it has done (and continues to do) everything in its power to ensure that “every person in [the] supply chain is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Tin mining

In addition to offering a rare glimpse of the iPhone factories at Pegatron, the documentary also touches on the sensitive matters surrounding the extraction of materials required to make various parts, not just for the iPhone but other products as well, including Macs and iPads.

It shows how tin extraction in Indonesia is done by minors, and even includes a brief interview with a small child who reveals that he goes to work with fear that a landslide could take his life at any moment.

Stills from the documentary (4 Images)

Juvenile worker
Applicants treated with disrespect before even starting work at the Pegatron factoryInside the iPhone testing facility
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