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.
"Just like we have an environmental responsibility, a supplier responsibility, we also believe we have a human responsibility to keep doing what we can."@AngelaAhrendts on @apple's leadership in fighting #ModernSlavery, collecting its #StopSlaveryAward #trustconf18 pic.twitter.com/CwX0xmE1Fz — trust conference (@trustconf) November 14, 2018
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.
Proud of this team and the work they do to leave our world better than we found it. Congratulations and thank you! https://t.co/fHKEuMqUOC — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 14, 2018
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
And I took it to mean their factory conditions were so bad they got that award as mockery.
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.