Apple places manufacturer Wistron on probation following worker riot

[Joe White]

Cutting corners: Apple has placed Wistron – an iPhone manufacturer – on probation following a recent riot among the manufacturer’s workforce at one of its plants in India. In the wake of the riot, Wistron was accused by its workers of serious labor violations, and, following a recent investigation, it turns out those claims were legitimate.

The riot took place at Wistron’s Narasapura plant in India earlier this month, and happened towards the end of one of the manufacturing shifts. Workers destroyed property, upturned vehicles, and stormed the offices of senior executives. According to employees, Wistron has been paying workers significantly less than the salaries they were originally promised.

After an initial investigation, a preliminary report from the local government has found that the workers’ claims are indeed legitimate: Wistron has been underpaying employees and forcing them to work additional hours. The South China Morning Post adds that there have been allegations of middlemen exploiting the contract workers and skimming their wages.

While the Taiwan-based Wistron has issued an apology and fired its vice president of business in India, Apple has moved to suspend further business with the manufacturer until worker conditions have been improved.

In November, Apple also placed supplier Pegatron on probation for shady labor practices. As such, critics are calling for Apple to better regulate its manufacturers around the world – some have questioned whether in the pursuit of high production targets, Apple turns a blind eye to poor labor conditions.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/88043-apple-places-manufacturer-wistron-probation-following-worker-riot.html

 

[Lionvibez]

Its good that Apple is getting involved just should have been alot sooner.

 

[Irata]

Its good that Apple is getting involved just should have been alot sooner.

Apple probably only wants to avoid bad press. I don‘t believe for a second they really care unless their profit is in danger.

 

[yRaz]

Its good that Apple is getting involved just should have been alot sooner.

they're on "probation", that doesn't mean they stopped doing business with them. They're still buying stuff made with slave labor

 

[psycros]

Why not move all that manufacturing to North America? Oooh, right, because their cutthroat capitalists who make obscene profits off of people who put Che stickers on their Macbooks.

 

[OneSpeed]

Poor labour conditions don't hurt the bottom line. Bad press does.

 

[mrvco]

Clearly Wistron needs to add a ping pong table in the breakroom.

 

[OortCloud]

Why not move all that manufacturing to North America? Oooh, right, because their cutthroat capitalists who make obscene profits off of people who put Che stickers on their Macbooks.

No, because your iPhone would then cost $150 dollars to make rather than $75, and so Apple would have to sell it for $3000 to get their very reasonable mark up. That new diamond-studded toilet set Tim Cook's been eyeing up isn't going to pay for itself you know?

 

[Irata]

No, because your iPhone would then cost $150 dollars to make rather than $75, and so Apple would have to sell it for $3000 to get their very reasonable mark up. That new diamond-studded toilet set Tim Cook's been eyeing up isn't going to pay for itself you know?

Actually no. What will increase is the actual labor cost, not parts, development....and perhaps also stricter regulations.

But yes, every $ in additional cost hurts, especially if you cannot deduct it from your taxes...

Seriously though, the problem may be supply chain.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Probation? Jeez Apple, last week I was lauding you for your efforts to improve consumer privacy and now you're doing this?

Just WTF does "probation" mean anyway? They have to get their slaves in line? This is a company that LIED to its employees about their pay and is paying some people less than $7 for one MONTHS work?!

If I were Apple, I wouldn't use subcontractors. The people in India who are being butt-raped by Wistron wouldn't be working for Wistron. I'd have an Apple plant there if I wanted to have my products made in India. Then there would be no question about employee treatment and no extra bureaucracy skimming off the top.

Of course, Apple won't do this because using subcontractors gives them what people like to call "plausible deniability".

This is just Apple trying to act like they care while at the same time doing absolutely nothing. You know, Louis Rossman is 100% right, of all companies, Apple should be able to afford to keep a presence overseas to ensure that their subcontractors are adhering to "Apple Policy" with regard to their treatment of employees.
Louis Rossmann, who owns an electronic repair shop in New York that specialises in Apple products (and is an all-around cool cat) had this to say about it and the NeoLiberal media's reaction to it:

Then he followed it up with:

I haven't watched the follow-up yet but very few people know as much about Apple as Louis Rossmann and very few people are as ethical as he is. Therefore, I have complete confidence that it's a great video.

I don't even use Apple products but after watching one of Louie's videos, I came to realise just how valuable his insight could be.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Its good that Apple is getting involved just should have been alot sooner.

You don't really think that Apple gives a damn, do you? They still use Foxconn, a company that had people literally committing suicide because of the conditions. Nothing will come of this, I guarantee it.

Apple probably only wants to avoid bad press. I don‘t believe for a second they really care unless their profit is in danger.

You got that right brother!

Why not move all that manufacturing to North America? Oooh, right, because their cutthroat capitalists who make obscene profits off of people who put Che stickers on their Macbooks.

Yeah, kind of ironic isn't it? If they want to have their products made overseas, that's their right but FFS, don't use subcontractors, just open ACTUAL Apple plants! Oh, but that doesn't give them plausible deniability, eh?

No, because your iPhone would then cost $150 dollars to make rather than $75, and so Apple would have to sell it for $3000 to get their very reasonable mark up. That new diamond-studded toilet set Tim Cook's been eyeing up isn't going to pay for itself you know?

It's funny you mention the toilet seat because I think that Tim Cook should be flushed down that toilet with the rest of the biological waste.

Actually no. What will increase is the actual labor cost, not parts, development....and perhaps also stricter regulations.

But yes, every $ in additional cost hurts, especially if you cannot deduct it from your taxes...

I kinda doubt that this is the case considering Apple's super-stratospheric margins. I'm willing to bet that they make Intel and nVidia seem downright honest in comparison (and that's saying something!).

Where are all the people saying that legislation is bad and the free market is so wonderful? Why aren't we hearing that "This is the way that it's supposed to be!"? Funny how they just don't seem to be around when things like this come to light. I honestly wonder if they really think that de-regulation doesn't result in slave conditions like this because if it didn't, this article's subject wouldn't exist.

 

[Endymio]

Apple [is] still buying stuff made with slave labor

You're confused on the definition, if you believe a paid employee, freely able to quit at any time, is a "slave".

Wistron may (or may not) be a shady, dishonest, double-dealing employer. But they're not a slave owner. Stand down, young social justice warrior.

 

[Lionvibez]

You don't really think that Apple gives a damn, do you? They still use Foxconn, a company that had people literally committing suicide because of the conditions. Nothing will come of this, I guarantee it.
wouldn't exist.

I know they don't give a damn just doing this to avoid bad press. But I guess late is better than never?

 

[p51d007]

At least the people of India CAN riot in an attempt to get better working conditions.
Do that in China, and it's off to prison or WORSE!

 

[Lionvibez]

At least the people of India CAN riot in an attempt to get better working conditions.
Do that in China, and it's off to prison or WORSE!

 

[yRaz]

You're confused on the definition, if you believe a paid employee, freely able to quit at any time, is a "slave".

Wistron may (or may not) be a shady, dishonest, double-dealing employer. But they're not a slave owner. Stand down, young social justice warrior.

they have suicide nets around the factories so employees can't kill themselves, they're glorified indentured servants. They pay the barely enough to pay their bills and eat. It isn't like the US were if you work hard you can save up money, move and get a better job. I don't know what country you hail from but it sounds like you've been spoiled by the first world.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I know they don't give a damn just doing this to avoid bad press. But I guess late is better than never?

If you're setting the bar really low, then yes, I suppose it is. I don't really think that Apple cares about bad press because, let's face it, it's no secret that iPhones are made with slave labour and that hasn't stopped callous, stupid and self-centred people from buying them by the shipload.

People say that the iPhone is a status symbol.
I say "So were fur coats". Both cause suffering. The iPhones cause slave labour and the fur coats slaughtered foxes like these two fur farm rescues named Finnegan and Dixie:

At least the foxes have someone to speak for them. These people have nothing.

 

[Endymio]

they have suicide nets around the factories so employees can't kill themselves

Sorry to interrupt a good rant with facts, but there are no suicide nets at Wistron factories. Several years ago, one Foxconn plant did have nets up for a while after a spate of suicides. However, the suicide rate for Foxconn is lower than that for China at large -- and in any case, we're talking about India. Totally different country.

they're glorified indentured servants.

No, they're not slaves, and they're not indentured either.

I don't know what country you hail from but it sounds like you've been spoiled by the first world.

Having lived and worked in both the Soviet Union and the Third World, you could say that the US's free-market capitalism has spoiled me; I've seen how life suffers without it. Which is why those who spew ill-informed anti-capitalist rants rankle me so. As for India, wages and working conditions there have vastly improved in recent decades due in large part to manufacturing plants like this-- which is why there are generally ten or more workers applying for every opening.

The primary issue at Wistron appears to be that the majority their workers were contractors, not employees, and the contract firm employed by Wistron was skimming a large percentage of their wages. Certainly an issue to be addressed, but your hyperventilating claims of slavery add nothing to the debate.

 

[yRaz]

Certainly an issue to be addressed, but your hyperventilating claims of slavery add nothing to the debate.

You know, you had me going for a minute until you decided it more appropriate to attack your image of my character.