Apple to allow labour group to monitor suppliers' factories

Jan 14, 2012, 1:20 GMT

San Francisco - Apple will allow the Fair Labour Alliance to monitor working conditions in the factories of its 156 suppliers, the international labour monitoring organization said Friday.

The move makes Apple the first technology company to join the group which also includes huge multinationals such as Nike and Nestle.

It coincided with Apple's release for the first time Friday of a list of all its 156 suppliers and the results of over 200 audits it conducted on them.

Apple has been sharply criticized for not enforcing better labour standards at its suppliers, and its audit found repeated violations of standards regarding pay, time off and overtime, with just 38 per cent in compliance with Apple's policy of no more than 60-hour work weeks.

Apple said that it had increased the number of audits last year by 80 per cent and that it had trained over 1 million supplier employees as part of its worker empowerment program.

'We found that Apple takes supplier responsibility seriously and we look forward to their participation in the Fair Labor Association,' said Auret van Heerden, FLA's President and CEO.

'We welcome Apple's commitment to greater transparency and independent oversight, and we hope its participation will set a new standard for the electronics industry.'