A Financial Times report states that Foxconn employed teen students to fabricate components of the iPhone X and these students worked overtime illegally. In addition, according to one of the students cited in the report, a school had students working in the factory as part of their educational programs. The report cited only six workers out of the thousands who work at the facility. But the tech giant Apple and Foxconn have acknowledged that illegal overtime cases have occurred and that they are taking steps to address the situation.
According to information from Apple:-
“In the course of a recent audit, we discovered some in-house students who worked overtime at a vendor facility in China. We confirmed that students worked voluntarily, were compensated and provided benefits, but should not be allowed to work overtime. In this installation, internship programs are short-term and represent a very small percentage of the workforce. When we discovered that some students were allowed to work overtime, we took quick action. A team of experts is on the premises working with the management of the company to ensure that the appropriate standards are met. Apple is dedicated to ensuring that everyone in our supply chain is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We know that our work is never finished and we will continue to do everything we can to make a positive impact and protect workers in our supply chain”. Six students aged 17 to 19 claimed that they had worked 11 hours a day regularly, after their school, Zhengzhou Urban Rail Transit School, demanded that they work at the factory for three months as a work experience before graduating. An 18-year-old said: “We are being forced by our school to work here … The work has nothing to do with our studies.” In a statement, Foxconn stated that “All the work was voluntary and compensated appropriately, but the trainees did overtime in violation of our policy”. Foxconn says its internship program involved cooperation “with local governments and a number of vocational schools.” The provincial education ministry where these students studied and worked asked local schools to send students to Foxconn, according to one source in the Financial Times. Apple and Foxconn continue to make efforts to improve working conditions and Apple’s internal reports show that conditions have improved significantly since 2012 when riots broke out. So, what do you think about this? Simply share your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
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