Source : Procurement Leaders

Apple said yesterday that it has authorised inspections of selected suppliers, in a move to quash allegations of poor working conditions at Far Eastern companies in its supply chain.

The California-headquartered maker of the iPhone announced that it has requested that the Fair Labour Association conduct “special voluntary audits” of Apple’s final assembly suppliers, including Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China.

It is understood that a team of labour rights specialists led by FLA president Auret van Heerden began the first inspections yesterday morning at the facility in Shenzhen known as Foxconn City.

“We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we’ve asked the FLA to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“The inspections now underway are unprecedented in the electronics industry, both in scale and scope, and we appreciate the FLA agreeing to take the unusual step of identifying the factories in their reports,” he added.

Apple said that, as part of its independent assessment, the FLA will interview employees about working and living conditions including health and safety, compensation, working hours and communication with management. The FLA’s team will also inspect manufacturing areas, dormitories and other facilities, and will conduct an extensive review of documents related to procedures at all stages of employment.

“Apple’s suppliers have pledged full cooperation with the FLA, offering unrestricted access to their operations. The FLA’s findings and recommendations from the first assessments will be posted in early March on its website, www.fairlabor.org.

Similar inspections will be conducted at Quanta and Pegatron facilities later this Spring, and when completed, the FLA’s assessment will cover facilities where more than 90 % of Apple products are assembled,” Apple said in a statement.