Apple has recently been under the eye of several news sources for its labor standards overseas. The grim results were both disturbing, as all labor violations are, and shocking, seeing as how Apple ranks as a top company both in profit and in user ratings.
The investigation yielded several severe violations that were both life altering to those involved and reveal Apple as a company that is really no better than its PC and other technological counterparts in regards to human rights.
While I would never advocate that we should all stop buying Apple computers, seeing as how multiple other companies are guilty of the same labor violations, I do believe it is time Apple users take off the rose-colored glasses and admit this new investigation proved the company to be no different than others.
I often run into discussions with Apple users who are not only anti-PC, but equally aggressive against anyone who doesn’t support or worship Apple, claiming the company takes care of its American employees and is a constant top performer.
These are all valid points, but when overseas labor violations are thrown out of the conversation to focus on American satisfaction, there is a serious problem. The recent investigations reveal there is already lenient and somewhat perverse standards within Apple, as employees in China were being abused and at times exacerbated by the company, Foxconn, which Apple contracts to manufacture its products.
The employees work very long hours and are often required to stand throughout the length of their shift. Equally, many of the products, probably contrary to the public’s perception, are manually assembled requiring tedious and intensely repetitive motions.
The long hours, combined with the repetitive yet restrictive muscle use has reportedly caused motor dysfunction in many of Foxconn’s employees.
Furthermore, investigations in recent years revealed the production of first generation iPads were further saddled with human costs, as the chemical n-hexane, exposure to which has long been associated with severe nervous system damage, was used to polish various components of the tablet causing many employees to be hospitalized.
The tragic list goes on and on, from suicides to factory explosions, exposing incidents to which a profitable and supposedly “ethical” company like Apple should have been paying much closer attention. Apple users, including myself, must reconcile their love for the company and their products with the frustrating realities of abhorrent overseas labor standards that have become the norm. As Americans we should first be on the side of the abused workers, not the corporations that give us technologies even if, by all other standards, they add significant value to our lives.
While boycotting the product would constitute a potentially drastic and immediate response, in the end the long hours and abuse will likely continue by Apple and other companies regardless.
However, what this investigation can do is force Apple users to take off the rose-colored glasses and understand the implications this has for the company they so love, and their relationship with the gadgets the company gives to them.
It’s important to remember Apple’s provision of ground-breaking technological products comes with a price that isn’t reflected in what we pay for them.
I hope the investigation prompts enlightenment among customers, causing them to question the company they used to defend to the death and think twice before singing its praises without questioning its activity overseas.
This skepticism is a first and indispensable step to demanding greater accountability of the company we all know and love.
