One day before the launch of the iPhone 11, Apple and its Chinese supplier Foxconn have been accused of violating labour laws to produce the new model.
New York-based China Labour Watch released a report detailing a string of alleged violations at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory, in the central province of Henan, mostly relating to the employment conditions of temporary workers. According to the report, temporary workers – recruited through contracted agencies – now make up half or more of the workforce at the Zhengzhou facility, with workers putting in at least 100 overtime hours a month.
China’s labour laws stipulate that temporary workers “shall not exceed 10 per cent of the total workforce” and that “monthly overtime work hours shall not exceed 36 hours”.