iPod factory labor abuse

A new report entitled "The iPod City" states that Apple's iPods are constructed primarily by female employees who earn as little as $50 per month, but who work 15 hours per day. Foxconn's Longhua plant employs 200,000 workers who live in dormitories -- each housing 100 people -- which do not permit visitors from outside world, according to Macworld UK. Another factory in Suzhou, Shanghai rolls out iPod shuffles with workers who are housed outside the facility. Employees earn roughly $100 per month, but must pay for accommodations and food, which consumes half of their salaries. One security guard said that the Shuffle production lines are staffed by women workers because "they are more honest than male workers," while Apple's iPod nano is manufactured in a five-story factory that is secured by police officers, according to the report.

by MacNN Staff