So apparently Apple is making good on its promise to look deeper down in the supply chain. While it sucks for the workers at the plant that they're probably going to lose their jobs (shitty work is [usually] better than no work), the jobs aren't actually going away. They're just being shifted to another factory that now has the knowledge that they too could be fired for what Westerners consider egregious working conditions.<p>This is great, and the outcome of putting a lot of vocal and consistent pressure on Apple to behave in a less inhumane fashion. It's yet another example that well organized and vocal campaigns can result in meaningful change. They do take a while, though.
So I'll be the guy to ask it: What's the problem with underage workers? As long as it's voluntary, the conditions are okay and the pay is fair, who does it hurt?<p>Some societies don't have the luxury of an idle childhood. I don't feel right telling some family the choices they make in the face of extreme poverty or starvation might offend my first world sensibilities, so therefore they shouldn't get to make that choice.<p>Should we work at fixing the root problems which drive children to work? Yes. Should we fire them and let them starve in the mean time? I don't think so.<p>I'm happy about the education and guaranteed income that Apple is demanding, because it looks like they're trying to fix the actual problem, rather than just playing a PR game and kicking kids out on the streets.
"When new violations are found, Apple requires its suppliers to return the workers back to a school chosen by the family and finance their education. "In addition, the children must continue to receive income matching what they received when they were employed. We also follow up regularly to ensure that the children remain in school and that the suppliers continue to uphold their financial commitment," wrote Apple in its latest report."<p>This is a tough problem to solve. Doesnt this provide HUGE incentive to underage workers to try to get a job and then get caught?
What is interesting to me is that I don't seem to hear anything about this where other companies are concerned. Is it a case of me not noticing or is Apple being singled out?
That news should make $AAPL drop by 5%. </sarcasm><p>There's only positive things that can come out of this. A business leader taking it's leading position to put pressure on business that violates human rights.
If you missed it, I recommend listening to the following American Life episodes in consideration on the light shed by this news:
454: Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/454/mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory" rel="nofollow">http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/454/m...</a>
460: Retraction <a href="http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/460/retraction" rel="nofollow">http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/460/r...</a>
Apple, which has the highest profit margins, is on a crusade to make labor less cheap, thus lowering profit margins for everybody, which will hurt their low margin competitors much more than themselves.<p>I'm not saying that's their only reason but let's be careful applauding their altruism and ignoring the business merits of their policy.<p>BTW, also, if some Apple competitors can only exist because of the <i>temporary</i> cheap labor pool (one day China, India, etc will modernize a lot more. maybe it will take 50 years but it is temporary), then maybe that says something interesting about their businesses.
Let's not all sit here on our laptops, in our comfortable lives and try to understand the political complexities of societies where underage labour is common place.<p>Let's not pretend to understand, and let's not pretend that we all have some high moral duty to "protect" these children.<p>But, while you sip you tripple tall americano while reading forbes magazine pretending to be an expert on poverty and politics take a second to think a 12 year old boy who just lost his families only source of income, only source of food, and only source of life. These people live in a society where the cost of your fucking americano goes a long way.<p>So stop pretending. Because you have no fucking idea.