How iPods are made - makes Apple sound bad!

Found this article --> http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=14915

Its making it sound like Apple is treating these workers like crap and not paying enough. Well, its China - and I think thats the biggest flaw of Apple. But many many many companines in the USA are using China for manufactoring and do the same if not worse (payment ect) not just Apple.

What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are it's misleading. Apple doesn't own the factory. They contract a third party to produce them.

Same thing could be said for many companies. I remember years ago when something similiar was going on with the sneaker manufacturers. I think mostly with Nike. but i'm not for certain.

I personaly don't see it as a 'flaw' on Apple's behalf. This is how businesses have been operating for years, they outsource manufacturing overseas. They do it because it saves them millions in production costs. Apple likely has little say in how the workers are treated or paid, after all they do not own the plant making the items. They only contract these outfits to make their items. There was a similar discussion in this thread regarding the Nike/Apple colaboration.
We have to keep in mind that not every country is a first-world, western nation. Things are done differently in other countries and while we may find those practices alien, unjust, harsh, etc. ... it doesn't neccessarily mean that the company we buy things from is at any sort of fault for it.

Hey i converted the money from USD to their Chinese currency and came to be pretty good and also they give them a place to live so its not that bad for Chinese people. A lot of people there are unemployed so i think its pretty good.

50.00 USD = 400.775 CNY
United States Dollars = China Yuan Renminbi

I think what we have to question before we bash Apple, is whether Apple has any kind of influence upon the people who own and run the factories in China. Clearly those people making a profit, could Apple convince them to give their workers better hours/conditions/pay and let the factory owners take the drop in profits? It doesn't matter what the laws are in China if Apple could directly influence the factory owners.

Would the owners just turn around and say they can easily find other companies to make devices for or is Apple's contract valuable enough for them to do something about it?

What I find most disturbing is not the pay or hours they have to do but rather the fact that they live there and outside visitors are not allowed. Are they "set-free" at least once a week or are they essentially prisoners? (while I imagine they could quit if they wanted, that isn'y my point, since I would imagine many of the workers are doing it to provide for their familes and wouldn't want to quit).

Work conditions in these countries in factories are just that way. As long as the workers don't have to breathe toxic gases or do other hazardous work, it's normal in China. You can't expect the western way of cuddling the employee there.

Besides, as schweb stated, Apple doesn't own the factory. It only designs the iPod. All parts are made and assembled elsewhere and come back to Apple for retail.

My clothes are the same way. They cost 10 cents to make in a third world country but they are 50 bucks for a T-Shirt. Except for Abercrombie... Hand Made Quality!

natural progression in economies...sweatshops start the cycle of capitalism and bringing in foreign investment...so economies move from agricultural, to industrial (starting with sweatshops), to service...

It may be horrible, but in the end it's good in the long run for the economies of those countries...and in order to get a proper idea about how much they are really getting paid, you have to look at the living wage, and comprible jobs and how much people are getting paid in other factories...or what people would be getting paid if those factories weren't there.

Smeshy

DCraver said:

My clothes are the same way. They cost 10 cents to make in a third world country but they are 50 bucks for a T-Shirt. Except for Abercrombie... Hand Made Quality!

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Was that sarcasm or not? Last I checked Abercrombie was the only place where they sell jeans that already look like they've had the s--t beaten out of them for MORE money than a pair of jeans that look new.

yogi said:

Work conditions in these countries in factories are just that way. As long as the workers don't have to breathe toxic gases or do other hazardous work, it's normal in China. You can't expect the western way of cuddling the employee there.

Besides, as schweb stated, Apple doesn't own the factory. It only designs the iPod. All parts are made and assembled elsewhere and come back to Apple for retail.

Click to expand...

Every third world country has bad working conditions, maybe thats why they called them "Third World Countries." Its the same conditons in places like Mexico, India, (outsourcing powerhouse), china also and many others.

i just found this article at macworld saying that Apple responded to the iPod allegations against it.

HERE.

to_tough_to_die said:

Was that sarcasm or not? Last I checked Abercrombie was the only place where they sell jeans that already look like they've had the s--t beaten out of them for MORE money than a pair of jeans that look new.

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ah, fashion. Same thing with pre-ripped jeans back in the 80's

On AppleInsider it had a update to this story. So i thought i would just add to this thread instead of making another one.



Foxconn: iPod factories get Apple approval

Apple Computer sent a special team overseas to investigate claims of unfair work environments within the Chinese manufacturing facilities that build its iPod digital music players but has found no problems, says Foxconn, the owner of facilities.

According to a report by China CSR, Foxconn spokesperson Li Zong said the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) complicated salary structure has caused misunderstanding among the media.

The spokesperson said the company has paid its workers according to the minimum salary standards of the Shenzhen local government.

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Read Full Story

no what abercrombie does is have the chinese employees wear the jeans until they look like that.... then sell them for 100 bucks. " hey cheng here's some jeans wear them its a bonus for your work. Then give them back for a new pair!" LOL

Of course Apple can influence these producers. This is probably the biggest contract they have ever had, and they will comply with anything they can afford to keep it. Apple claim ignorance, and say they are now investigating. I guess the proof will be in the pudding, but the fact is that Apple (or any of the companies we use) know that when they go overseas to get cheaper labour, someone will probably pay for it, and the attitude seems to be 'as long as it's not the First World, all well and good'.

And no, it is not necessary for a healthy economy to begin with sweatshops. That is too ridiculous for words....

disciple said:

And no, it is not necessary for a healthy economy to begin with sweatshops. That is too ridiculous for words....

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I couldn't agree more....

schweb said:

My thoughts are it's misleading. Apple doesn't own the factory. They contract a third party to produce them.

Click to expand...

And that makes it OK?

D3v1L80Y said:

I personaly don't see it as a 'flaw' on Apple's behalf. This is how businesses have been operating for years, they outsource manufacturing overseas. They do it because it saves them millions in production costs. Apple likely has little say in how the workers are treated or paid, after all they do not own the plant making the items. They only contract these outfits to make their items. There was a similar discussion in this thread regarding the Nike/Apple colaboration.
We have to keep in mind that not every country is a first-world, western nation. Things are done differently in other countries and while we may find those practices alien, unjust, harsh, etc. ... it doesn't neccessarily mean that the company we buy things from is at any sort of fault for it.

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Sure they. They have a vested interest in doing nothing to improve the situation, since it results in more profit for them. Thus they are as culpable as the people running the factories.

yogi said:

Work conditions in these countries in factories are just that way. As long as the workers don't have to breathe toxic gases or do other hazardous work, it's normal in China. You can't expect the western way of cuddling the employee there.

Click to expand...

I think the word you meant there is "coddling".

So I guess you call a safe work environment with fair wages "coddling"?