Apple in 2021 expanded its mapping of labor agencies that serve its global network of suppliers, the iPhone and iPad maker said in its latest “Supplier Responsibility Report,” released today. The report outlines Apple’s efforts to monitor is supplier ecosystem over labor, environmental, social responsibility and other concerns.
Apple, which began mapping its suppliers’ staffing firms in 2020, said it has identified 1,182 labor agencies that support 482 facilities in 32 countries.
“These labor agencies represent over 870,000 workers, with more than 427,000 of them working on Apple production lines,” according to the report.
Apple also began requiring prospective suppliers in India, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam to undergo labor agency mapping and responsible recruitment training as part of its supplier selection process.
The company also expanded its “Responsible Labor Recruitment Toolkit” training to more than 39 additional supplier facilities in 10 countries, reaching nearly 77,000 workers globally. The move was done in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration.
Apple’s report also focuses on efforts to prevent forced labor at its suppliers. In 2021, it found two cases in Taiwan where people paid recruitment fees to land their jobs. The supplier was required to directly repay the employees with repayment verified through a third-party auditor.
The company noted $33.2 million in recruitment fees have been paid back by suppliers to 37,322 of their employees since 2008.
Apple’s report noted the company’s efforts to prohibit “debt-bonded labor” in its supply chain.
“We have zero tolerance for debt-bonded labor, which is a core violation (the most serious level of violation) of our code,” according to the report. “The payment of recruitment fees, withholding an employee’s passport or personal identity documents, or restricting an employee’s freedom of movement all constitute salient risks in our supply chain and are violations of our code and standards.”
Apple prohibits suppliers from charging workers any fees connected to their recruitment and employment, even if such fees are legally permissible in the supplier’s operating country or a worker’s home country.
The report also said Apple moved to restrict subcontracting for janitorial services in Apple retail stores to one level down.
In addition to the report, Apple today announced a $50 million supplier employee development fund to expand learning and skills development opportunities to workers in its supply chain.
The full report is online.