Official Blog of the Raging Grannies Action League

What: Protest Apple Labor Abuses in China

When: Wednesday, January 18 11:45am

Where: Apple Store

         451 University Ave.

         Palo Alto, California

Who: Labor rights activists, the Raging Grannies

Political activists for labor rights say that despite attempts to improve its image in the last 5 years, Apple has worse-than-sweatshop manufacturing conditions in China. These conditions include mass worker suicides, child labor violations, excessive workloads, and exposure to toxic chemicals. 

The Grannies say that any promises Apple is making in recent days to take steps to rectify the dire situation, are “too little too late”.

Join us as we demonstrate outside the Apple store at 451 University in Palo Alto on Wednesday January 18 from 11:45 am.

Apple replied to accusations that it has turned a blind eye to working conditions in China saying  it conducts a number of surprise audits every year in order to “make sure our suppliers are not just showing us what they want us to see.”*  But recent interviews, conducted in Shenzen, China by Mike Daisey, have shown that children as young as 12 years old are working in Foxconn factories that Apple uses. He discovered in a visit to a facility there that underage workers are hidden away when inspectors come.

It’s fair to say every Apple Computer has the blood of workers on it. While labor activists have long asked for greater oversight, Apple clearly looked the other way. To blame, in part, is the Silicon Valley cult-like worship of Apple. When Steve Jobs died, you couldn’t walk in downtown Palo Alto without noticing the many shrines to him in store windows. Steve Jobs-worshippers would have had the flag at half-mast if they could have.

The previous CEO at Apple was known to keep Apple internal workings shrouded in secrecy.  We only hope that new CEO Tim Cook will keep good his promise to change the corporate ethic.