Apple to Probe Claims of Pegatron Labor Violations ⇥ bloomberg.com

Edmond Lococo and Chinmei Sung, Bloomberg:

[China Labor Watch] found at least 86 labor rights violations while investigating three Pegatron factories from March to July, it said in a report issued today. Apple has been in close contact with the group for several months, yet the report contains “claims that are new to us,” and those will be probed immediately, Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based spokeswoman for Apple, said in a phone interview today.

These issues are inexcusable. With the revelation in the report that Apple has contracted Pegatron to produce the plastic-bodied iPhone slated for release this autumn, these problems are only going to get worse. Apple must be one of the largest of Pegatron’s clients, giving them both the responsibility and power to change this.