Apple – Panorama documentary

Last week, BBC’s Panorama programme did a frightening documentary on factories used by Apple in China and on their tin supply chain in Indonesia. If such poor conditions are used by Apple, many other products will be produced in even worse conditions. As a user of Apple products I am appalled.

See Panorama, Apple’s Broken Promises .

Of course, we in the West milk the low costs that such poor working procedures/conditions permit. With time, conditions will improve and the West will look to other low cost manufacturing areas for our low cost products. Sadly, our greed feeds this process.

Frighteningly, other products we buy are probably made in places that are far worse.

Andrew G6ALB tells me of a friend in the automotive industry who visited a Chinese supplier where he found workers using ordinary sun glasses to protect eyes from welding gear. After 6 months  the workers were totally blind. So they just got fresh workers to replace them!

Thanks to Steven G7VFY for most of this information.

UPDATE 1740z:  Sadly many (most?) of our electronics components will be made in sweat shops in the Far East. It is very hard to get away from this problem.

Roger Lapthorn, G3XBM, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cambridge, England.

4 Responses to “Apple – Panorama documentary”

  • Ben PA2OLD:

    I live in the Netherlands and would like to see the Panorama documentary, but sadly it is not allowed…
    Is there any solution?

  • Peter kg5wy:

    Incredible.

  • David WB4ONA:

    “If such poor conditions are used by Apple, many other products will be produced in even worse conditions.”

    Why belittle Apple’s behavior? If anything, the outrageously high prices they charge for their products should should allow Apple to right these wrongs. But instead, greed rules the day.

  • Peter kg5wy:

    Everyone SHOULD criticize Apple’s behavior!
    They have the POWER to make this better!
    I don’t have an I-phone or I-pad, but I hope everyone that does realizes how these were made.

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