Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts today accepted the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Stop Slavery Award on behalf of Apple at the Trust Conference, an annual human rights gathering.

Apple received the award for its efforts to stop forced labor in its supply chain. Apple has long banned suppliers from requiring workers to pay off debt or withholding passports.

angelaahrendtstrustconference


Ahrendts told attendees that Apple is teaming up with the UN's International Organization for Migration for an initiative that may eventually help victims of human trafficking to get jobs behind-the-scenes at Apple retail locations.

Apple will not know which individuals are being hired through the program, with participating people set to be hired by Apple suppliers rather than Apple directly to start with.


Apple will, however, monitor the initiative, and the company may eventually extend the program to allow human trafficking victims to be hired in Apple retail locations, according to the BBC.

"Though we have only just started, we see huge opportunity to be a beacon of hope for trafficking survivors integrating them into our retail team," Ms Ahrendts said in her acceptance speech.

"These efforts are just a part of a broader set of initiatives to eliminate modern slavery from every part of our company, in every part of the world."

Apple conducts ongoing audits of its supply chain partners and punishes those who are found to be defying the protections put in place for workers. Suppliers who repay fees are put on probation, and those that do not are banned.

More information on Apple's human rights efforts can be found on the company's Supplier Responsibility website.

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Top Rated Comments

miniyou64 Avatar
84 months ago
Yet they have more than a billion slaves to their ecosystem and charging them more for it too.
I get your point but Im not quite sure that fits the definition of slavery
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
patent10021 Avatar
84 months ago
I thought it said Apple Wins Top Slavery award.

And I took it to mean their factory conditions were so bad they got that award as mockery.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
84 months ago
I applaud Apple’s efforts and progress here and in other social/humanitarian efforts, but I wish they’d put more effort into actually making products worthy of the high price tags they put on them. Or if they only have minor improvements, maybe leave the price alone (or even lower them?)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
84 months ago
Yet they have more than a billion slaves to their ecosystem and charging them more for it too.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Huntn Avatar
84 months ago
I get your point but Im not quite sure that fits the definition of slavery
Capitalist slaves. For Apple and most of the Capitalist world, why should we pay our own citizens a living wage, when we can have $.50 per hour for labor? And in the US, who argues for elimination of minimum wage standards? Unfettered Capitalism thrives, depends on slave wages for max profit.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
s2mikey Avatar
84 months ago
It's been well documented they use slave labor
Sure do - the shareholders demand it. Because evlevnty billion million in profit just doesnt cut it. They must generate Forty two quintillion billion. Hey - I buy some of their stuff and use it but Im fully aware that slave labor is being milked. This cannot be argued so dont try.

Apple isnt the only one doing it but for them to get an award pertaining to NOT doing this is somewhat hilarious. They could EASILY afford to make the stuff here in the USA and pay good wages/benefits but again, the miserable shareholders are never happy.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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