Apple and Foxconn conceded Monday that employed too many temporary workers. However, they hit back at some allegations from China Labor Watch, which criticized the poor level of people management (via Reuters).
Foxconn Admits “Evidence Company Guidelines Violated
China Labor Watch investigated the Foxconn facility at which the iPhone 11 is being produced. Apple will host an event Tuesday at which it will unveil the device. The report said:
Foxconn employs student workers and dispatch workers. Student workers have been forced to work overtime hours, completing internships at the factory that are unrelated to their degree.
“Apple has done very little to improve the rights of workers in their supplier factories,” the executive summary continued. The NGO also alleged that many workers never received bonuses promised to them by recruiters. Furthermore, it claimed violations of Chinese labor law occurred at the factory.
Number of Temporary Workers “Exceeded Our Standards”
The number of temporary workers “exceeded our standards,” Apple admitted in a statement. It will work with Foxconn, to “immediately resolve the issue,” it added. However, Apple declined to comment on any potential violation of Chinese Labour law.
Foxconn also admitted that it also relied too heavily on temporary workers. The iPhone assembler said in a statement:
We did find evidence that the use of dispatch workers and the number of hours of overtime work carried out by employees, which we have confirmed was always voluntary, was not consistent with company guidelines.
The company said it “immediately began a detailed process” to fix the issues raised in the report.