[NewsPoster]

A supplier claimed to be helping Apple with the iPhone 5C has been accused of numerous labor rights violations. China Labor Watch says that Jabil Circuit has been forcing workers into over 100 hours of monthly mandatory overtime, yet also holding back millions of dollars in overtime pay. The company is also reportedly forcing people to stand for 11 hours a day without rest, outside of 30-minute meal breaks, and engaging in practices like discriminatory hiring and inadequate pre-work training.

Apple is still attempting to clean up its image in terms of supplier conduct. Although media and activist pressure has forced Apple to deal with similar abuses at Foxconn, some issues remain there, and just this July another major supplier -- Pegatron -- was accused of violating work, safety, and pollution laws.

The iPhone 5C is expected to debut at a special press event next Tuesday, and ship on or around the 20th. The device is, coincidentally, thought to have been designed with China in mind, using lower specs and a plastic back to reduce its pricetag. Many Chinese are unable to afford the cost of a state-of-the-art iPhone.

[chefpastry]

How are they helping Apple? I think it would be more appropriate to say that they have been contracted by Apple.

[Flying Meat]

A contract which should be summarily cancelled if the situation at Jabil Circuit isn't immediately remedied. That is, immediate payment of all overtime wages, less overtime, quarterly audits of conditions and hiring practices, and get them some dang chairs!

[chefpastry]

Whose to say the violations are related to the production of parts for Apple?

I still don't feel that Apple should be the police for all these manufacturers.

[designr]

Why didn't anybody complain about working conditions at these factories until Apple started using them?

Who spoke up when Pegatron was manufacturing StreamTVs? Toshiba Ultrabooks? HTC tablets? Levono smart pads?

Where is your outrage at Asus which OWNS Pegatron?

So let's talk about Jabil....

"Jabil Circuit, Inc. is a provider of electronics manufacturing services. Jabil designs and manufactures electronics for OEMs in industries including healthcare, life sciences, clean technology, instrumentation, defense, aerospace, automotive, computing, storage, consumer products, networking and telecommunications. They also provide design engineering services, production, product management and aftermarket service to companies in the aerospace, automotive, computing, consumer, defense, industrial, instrumentation, medical, networking, peripherals, solar, storage and telecommunications industries.[7] Jabil is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida and is one of the largest companies in the Tampa Bay area.[8][9] They operate in 33 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.[3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabil_Circuit