Report: Unfair Working Conditions Persist at Apple Supplier

Apple continues to tolerate unfair working conditions in some of the factories that make its products, according to a Chinese watchdog group.

Workers at the Pegatron company, an Apple supplier in Shanghai, made $2 per hour on average, according to a report from China Labor Watch, up slightly from $1.85 in 2015.

The group, which regularly releases reports on working conditions in Chinese factories, also accused Pegatron of breaking Chinese labor law by asking its interns to work overtime. Interns had overtime work that totaled 80 hours per month on average, roughly the same amount as full-time employees.

"Currently, Apple is hindering the improvement of labor conditions within the whole smartphone industry," China Labor Watch Executive Director Li Qiang said in a statement. "Apple alone claimed more than 90 percent of the smartphone industry's aggregate profits, while a majority of other firms were operating at a loss. If Apple does not take on responsibility commensurate with its status, other companies will not have the ability to make improvements either."

Noticeably absent from the most recent report was any mention of safety conditions in the factories; China Labor Watch's 2014 report claimed that many workers received no safety training and that fire exits and windows were typically locked.

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An Apple spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company requires its suppliers to sign a code of conduct outlining safe working conditions, fair treatment of workers, and environmental responsibility. It conducted 640 audits in 2015, according to its latest report, and found that 84 percent of its suppliers complied with its standards, including one facility that employed underage workers.