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28 January 2012 | Adam Leach
Apple is tackling alleged problems over
working conditions in the supply chain aggressively, CEO Tim Cook has told
staff.
In an email to Apple staff obtained by the
website 9to5mac,
Cook said he wanted to directly address questions raised over the company’s
values and told employees: “We are attacking problems aggressively with the
help of the world’s foremost authorities on safety, the environment, and fair
labour.”
His message came a day after The New York Times published an article
that made a series of allegations about the treatment of employees at Chinese manufacturer Foxconn,
a major contractor to Apple.
In the email, he said: “We care about every
worker in our worldwide supply chain. Any accident is deeply troubling, and any
issue with working conditions is cause for concern.”
Also in the email, Cook pledged to continue
to develop efforts to scrutinise supplier conduct: “We will continue to dig
deeper, and we will undoubtedly find more issues. What we will not do, and never
have done, is stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain.
On this you have my word.”
Earlier this month, Apple revealed that it had carried out 229 audits on suppliers
in 2011, including surprise audits to catch suppliers off guard, which equated
to an 80 per cent increase from the previous year. In addition it announced
that it had reached an agreement to allow the Fair Labor Association to scrutinise its supply
chain operations.
