Yesterday morning, the Taipei-based National Federation of Independent Trade Unions (全國自主勞工聯盟) and eleven other labour rights organizations (see below) protested outside the offices of Apple Computer in Taipei against the exploitation of workers in Taiwan and China by Apple’s major flat-panel supplier Wintek.
Photo: "Protect workers' rights!"
The organisations accuse Wintek of laying off over 600 workers in Taiwan without advance notice, cutting salaries without negotiation, forcing unpaid leave, trying to force workers to work overtime without overtime salaries, and laying off workers who protested against “foul working conditions”. They demanded that Apple and WINTEK to promise to improve working conditions before May 31st, 2009. Read more about the allegations…
At midday yesterday, after the protest had started, Apple called an impromptu “day off”, while Wintek’s only response to what has now been several months of negotiations and protests was to accuse the Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Trade Unions, Chu Wei-Li (朱維立), of slander.
Yesterday, a response on Apple’s own blog entitled “Supplier Wintek Lands Apple in Labor Dispute”, Apple stated that it is “committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility wherever our products are [made], and we require corrective actions when we find violations” and claimed that “Apple’s own high standards are exactly what protesters and labor groups are asking the company to enforce in the case of Wintek”.
Although, with this statement, Apple is clearly evading responsibility for having failed to ensure the highest standards of social responsibility or indeed maintain its “own high standards” throughout the production line, international pressure on Apple may force the company to pay greater attention to the labour conditions of its suppliers.
The protesting organisations included:
(Taiwan) National Federation of Independent Trade Unions, WINTEK bargaining team, Solidarity Union, Youth labor union 95, Taiwan Labor Information & Education Association, Confederation of Trade Union in Taipei City, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Tainan County and Kaohsiung County, (Hong Kong) Globalization Monitor, SACOM, HKCTU, Labour Action China, (China) China Worker Studies, (Japan) Asian Pacific Workers Solidarty Links.
Related news
In English:
21.5.09. Apple under fire in Taiwan. Global Post.
21.5.09 Protest against Apple Computer Taiwan: Stop exploiting laborers, say no to bloody Apple. National Federation of Independent Trade Unions.
22.5.09. Protesters call on Apple, Wintek to stop exploitation. The China Post.
In Chinese 中文:
21.5.09. 給蘋果電腦的公開信 全球消費大眾：一人一信、督促Apple、改革勝華！苦勞網
22.5.09. 標榜企業社會責任 勞工團體要蘋果治勝華 苦勞網
