A leading human rights organization has asked the U.S. government to declare Apple a sweatshop for abusive employment practices.
While the company has in the past been chided about conditions for workers in Chinese factories that produce the iPod, this condemnation was particularly unusual as it related to conditions at One Infinite Loop.
Mark Ridley of Human Rights Now said “Recently a whistle-blower brought to our attention an egregious example of just how poor conditions are at Apple.
“This individual – whose name we will not reveal to protect him from retaliation – often works more than 80 hour work-weeks. He has to be available at the drop of a hat. The pressures on him to perform again and again and again are tremendous.
“And yet he makes just one dollar a year.”
Ridley’s organization has asked the government to sanction Apple and to restrict its ability to conduct business until conditions are improved.
“Workers like this poor individual live in constant fear that their superiors will make their lives a living hell – removing their so-called ‘perks’ such as the their basic means of transportation to and from the sweatshop – and calling them names like ‘goober’ or ‘dorkus’… ‘chowderhead’… ‘pinky’… ‘mock turtleneck boy’. It’s unspeakable psychological torture.”
The government has agreed to look into the case and is expected to interview the whistle-blower at a really, really, really nice sushi place.