AdobeStock/Ivan Kruk
In 2014, China enacted a labor law meant to protect workers’ rights requiring that no more than 10% of a factory’s workforce to be temporary workers, according to The Information, a news website. However, for years, Apple took no major action against its suppliers for violating the law out of concerns it would create costs, drain resources and delay product launches.
New data and insight from former Apple employees suggest that Apple’s strategy for supply chain management makes it difficult for its three biggest contract manufacturers — Foxconn Technology, Quanta Computer and Pegatron — to remain compliant with labor restrictions. Last year, Apple admitted that Foxconn broke the law at its massive iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, which employs as many as 300,000 workers.