Apple has again drawn criticism for contractor labor practices, this time in a report from Hong Kong watchdog group Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM). SACOM maintains that Apple is not upholding basic human rights through its monitoring of suppliers; rather, it claims that supplier factories are “intensifying a military-style management of workers.” There are allegations of denying “bathroom breaks, sufficient rest, and access to proper nutrition.” SACOM reports work weeks of 70-100 hours and alleged unpaid overtime work, among other alleged violations, concluding that “Apple suppliers are indeed sweatshops that exploit their workers.”
Responding to a protest outside of a Hong Kong Apple store, a spokeswoman for Apple China told the South China Morning Post, “We insist that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made.” [via 9to5Mac]