Apple Supplier's Suicide Trail

I am an Apple fanboy. I've gone to Apple developer conferences, use their products, wear their tshirts and enjoy lengthy conversations about their design principles, new products, and Steve Jobs wardrobe.

I've been reading some recent news reports that describe a very sad situation in China where one of Apple's suppliers, Foxconn, has been the scene of several employee suicides. Apple has confirmed that one person committed suicide after Foxconn management accused the employee of losing a prototype of Apple's next generation iPhone (1). There is no way to lay the blame for that entirely on Apple. In fact, the pressure likely came from a Foxconn manager who wanted to protect their business relationship with Apple -- a relationship that surely would have soured had the lost prototype found its way into the wild.

Apple has investigated Foxconn's labor practices within the past few years. They concluded the most recent investigation in 2006 and found little out of the ordinary. In fact, they found that most people make more than minimum wage and none make less (2). Despite this exonerating report, some child labor proponents and human trafficking watchdogs suggest that an increase in suicides suggest that forced labor may be present at Foxconn (3).

I don't know what all this means. Apple says that they expect all their suppliers to treat employees with respect and dignity. I hope that they continue to keep a close eye on Foxconn and make changes if necessary.