Author: Ansel Herz
The Apple Store in Shanghai. Credit: Shutterstock.com
New York Magazine:
In depressing news that should shock absolutely no one, an investigative report into labor practices of Apple contractors in China found, among other things, that workers at factories run by Foxconn and Pegatron, both major suppliers of Apple, work over 60 hours a week—Apple’s stated cap—and make less than two dollars an hour.
Precisely, workers at the factories make $1.82 an hour, according to thousands of paystubs examined by China Labor Watch. The low wages force laborers to work overtime, to the point where overtime hours make up 40 percent of their gross income, in order to cover living expenses. CLW says Apple—one of the most profitable companies in the world—could do much more to improve pay and conditions for its workers. Apple CEO Tim Cook made $10.3 million last year.