Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is investigating cases of worker abuse at one of the factories manufacturing the company’s next big iPhone release, the iPhone 5c. Jabil Circuit was listed in a China Labor Watch report for being involved with a number of anti-worker practices. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) says it has already dispatched a team to the factory in question.
An Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) statement said that the company has carried out 14 separate inspections of sites operated by Jabil Circuit since 2008, including three in the last three years. The statement said that “Jabil has a proactive auditing program of their own and they have an excellent track record of meeting Apple’s high standards.”
Apple worker abuse
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the thousands of American companies that outsources manufacturing and other work to firms in China. Because of the high profile of Apple, a great deal of attention has been drawn to the conditions of its factories. The company has often been accused of not having the best interest of those Chinese workers at heart.
The company has taken the problems at its factories seriously, and has introduced rigorous compliance standards in order to make sure that worker conditions at factories making Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products meet the company’s standards. The company is taking a proactive approach in investigating the accusations of hiring discrimination, overcrowding, poor training, and mandatory overtime at the Jabil factory.
Despite the company’s efforts, there are still problems at some of the factories making its products in China. “We are proud of the work we do with our suppliers to improve conditions for workers,” Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) said in today’s statement.
iPhone 5c release
The iPhone 5c is going to be the next big part of the iPhone range. The device is expected to be released alongside its premium cousin, the iPhone 5s, at an event next Tuesday in California. The iPhone 5c will, according to rumors, be a lower grade iPhone designed to compete with cheap Android models being sold in Asian countries.
The release of a cheaper iPhone tailor made for the Chinese market has been rumored for years, and it appears that investors will finally get what they are looking for on September 10. It is unclear what the exact features of the phone will be, or where it will be released.
