Labor issues in China continue to plague Apple and others
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<p>A new <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aEoy5uOTmvq8" title="Bloomberg: China Risks Apple’s Reputation as Factories Flout Law">investigation into Chinese labor law disputes</a> reveals that Apple still isn’t immune to associations with manufacturing partners that aren’t in compliance with laws designed to improve labor conditions for Chinese workers. Despite instigating a comprehensive auditing process after it was revealed that Foxconn—assembler of iPods—<a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2006/06/4461.ars" title="Ars Technica: Foxconn: We’re only a little Dickensian">had serious problems</a> with worker conditions, Apple’s own investigations reveal that over half of the factories it audited last year didn’t pay overtime, and a quarter paid less than mandated minimum wages. The widespread problems affect other companies as well, but also threaten to sully Apple’s otherwise squeaky clean corporate image.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5313690/why-you-cant-complain-about-the-price-of-todays-gadgets" title="Gizmodo: Why You Can’t Complain About the Price of Today’s Gadgets">recent comparison</a> of prices of electronics in 1979 to prices we pay today noted that "increased competition and better manufacturing technologies have made the gadgets we buy today seem like extreme bargains when put in a historical context." For instance, a 48K Apple II in 1979 cost $2,638—or about $7,700 when adjusted for inflation. For that kind of bank, you can pick up a well-spec’d Mac Pro and a couple 30" Cinema Displays. While increased competition and better manufacturing can certainly account for some of the difference, it’s worth noting that Apple—like most electronics manufacturers—have since moved most or all manufacturing to developing Asian countries, and China in particular.</p>
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