Just last week, I wrote about the importance in Catholic social teaching of corporate social responsibility, how the corporation itself had a role in pursuing the common good and not simply outsourcing this job to the state. Chiefly, this means that – as Pope Benedict puts it – “business management cannot concern itself only with the interests of the proprietors, but must also assume responsibility for all the other stakeholders who contribute to the life of the business” – workers,suppliers, consumers, the natural environment, and broader society. As the pope says, “there is no justice where profit is the number one criterion”.
With this in mind, I read a rather disturbing report in the New York Times yesterday about the condition of workers in Apple suppliers in China. Reseachers have documented a litany of abuse including poor safety conditions sometimes leading to injury and death, excessive overtime, workers being forced to stand all day and crammed into crowded dorms at night, improper disposal of toxic waste, the use of underage workers, the use of poisonous chemicals, workers being forced to work multiple shifts in a row, workers treated harshly by managers and docked pay for minor infractions..the list goes on.
Let us remember how seriously the Church regards this form of injustice – Gaudium Et Spes lists “disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons” as among the most grave infamies. And it was precisely the treatment of workers in the 19th century that gave rise to modern Catholic social teaching, in the passionate demands for justice coming from Pope Leo XIII.
Of course, Apple likes to talk about how highly it takes its social responsibility. But the evidence shows otherwise. At a time when Apple pulls in $13 billion in quarterly earnings, it deliberately tries to twist the screws of its suppliers. As the article notes:
Apple typically asks suppliers to specify how much every part costs, how many workers are needed and the size of their salaries. Executives want to know every financial detail. Afterward, Apple calculates how much it will pay for a part. Most suppliers are allowed only the slimmest of profits. So suppliers often try to cut corners, replace expensive chemicals with less costly alternatives, or push their employees to work faster and longer, according to people at those companies.
With these conditions, is it any surprise that abuses occur? The relationship is symbiotic. The supplier needs the enormous amount of business that Apple will provide, and goes to great lengths to deliver. And Apple, despite the rhetoric, knows that few suppliers have the expertise it needs to deliver high-quality goods very quickly, so is not in a hurry to end a profitable relationship.
Let us remember the rights of workers in Catholic social teaching. The right to decent wages. The right to a safe and healthy working environment. The right to adequate rest. The right to social benefits. The right to form and join unions. The right to profit-sharing and joint ownership of the company.
In China, many of these benefits are denied by the state. But that is no reason for Apple to play along. In fact, it puts a greater onus on Apple to treat its workers with the dignity they deserve.
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