Human Rights Group Recognizes Progress at Foxconn

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) published a status report revealing that Apple’s largest supplier, the China-based Foxconn, has made progress in implementing reforms outlined in a March 2012 agreement. That agreement followed assessments conducted by the FLA at three Foxconn facilities. According to Human Rights First, a member of the FLA Board of Directors, the progress is an important sign of Foxconn’s commitment to reform and engagement in the FLA assessment progress. “Foxconn has completed nearly 80 percent of the FLA actions recommended in March. They are ahead of schedule in implementing many of the changes necessary to ensure the health and welfare of Foxconn employees and bring the company’s work conditions into compliance with basic human rights standards,” said Human Rights First’s Meg Roggensack. “This is a win for the employees of Foxconn and for the FLA’s new assessment process. Now, Apple must continue to take steps that ensure all workers within its supply chain have access to these same standards.” In March, the FLA released its report based on its investigations at three Foxconn facilities in Shenzhen and Chengdu. These facilities produce products for Apple, a company that in its own independent report found that Foxconn has historically sidestepped limitations on the number of hours employees can work and failed to compensate employees fairly. Foxconn’s workers have also faced hazardous work conditions. According to the agreement announced at that time, all Foxconn employees will be limited to 49 hours per week by July of 2013, and Foxconn will work to ensure workers’ take-home pay remains the same as they receive now for hours that far exceed that ceiling. Workers will also see a marked improvement in factory conditions, improvements that will be consistently monitored by FLA’s independent inspectors. “Apple is not the only company that will directly feel the impact of this agreement and the progress we’re seeing now,” observed Roggensack. “Foxconn also produces products for companies such as Dell, Amazon and Hewlett Packard. Those companies should take immediate steps to follow Apple’s lead and insist that working conditions in every one of their factories meets this industry standard.”