Does Apple Exploit Workers to Produce iPods?

The short answer is we don't know.  Apple Computer has been accused of having a supplier who uses less than ideal working conditions to produce iPods.  The accusations have been made but more factual details are likely to show up in the next few days or weeks after the investigations gain momentum. 

Details include up to 200,000 Asian workers living in dormitories working 15-hour days for $50 per month.  Approximately half of that $50 goes for room and board in the dorms.  If true, then a worker would have to work for a little under three months to afford a Nano, provided they didn't buy anything else in that time.

Apple says that it is investigating the claims.  The company does have a supplier code of conduct which respects worker rights and the conditions in which their products are made.  According to the Washington Post, Apple released a statement affirming their labor principles.  "Apple is committed to ensuring that working conditions in our supply chain are safe, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible."  The company added "We do not tolerate any violations of our supplier code of conduct."

The original article that sparked it all is on the Daily Mirror (U.K.) web site.  Other accounts are in the Washington Post, the BBC, and from a different point of view (someone always has to think different), ChinaTechNews.