iPod sweat-shops pay $1.50 a day.

Your $400 dollar iPod was manufactured by Chinese women who work 15 hours straight at a rate of $1.50 per day. These women are housed by the hundreds in dormitories, and visitors from the out side world are not allowed to see them. This is just another example of corporate asshattery that is, unfortunately, a tried and tested formula for guaranteeing success by cutting costs at the expense of human rights.

A security guard told the Mail reporters that the iPod shuffle production lines are staffed by women workers because “they are more honest than male workers”. Apple is just one of thousands of companies that now use Chinese facilities to manufacture its products, the report observes. Low wages, long hours and China’s industrial secrecy make the country attractive to business, particularly as increased competition and consumer expectations force companies to deliver products at attractive prices ($399 for a feature starved
iPod is an attractive price?)

MailOnSunday published the report called “iPod City”, but it is not available online at this time.

[ Link ]

UPDATE: Apple says that they will look into this claim. I hope there is a happy follow up story but I won’t be holding my breath

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