對于蘋果公司(Apple Inc.)來說，富士康電子公司(Foxconn Electronics Inc.)不僅是其于電子制造社群中最忠誠的合作伙伴之一，甚至還可作為其最佳的“代罪羔羊”！ 也許你會說我對于這家全球最大的電子制造服務(EMS) 供貨商過于嚴苛了，但請先想想近來兩起事件的發(fā)展。首先，應蘋果公司的邀請，美國公平勞動協(xié)會(Fair Labor Association；FLA)開始針對富士康在深圳和成都的廠房進行調(diào)查──蘋果公司近來面對一連串輿論批評，指控其縱容制造伙伴于制造廠房中發(fā)生違反勞工權益的行為。蘋果公司表示，這一稽查行動是“自發(fā)性的”，也就是說富士康公司欣然接受FLA工作人員在其制造廠房展開調(diào)查。

Ztcesmc

“蘋果公司的供貨商已經(jīng)承諾與FLA充分配合，讓他們能毫無限制地進入廠房作業(yè)中展開調(diào)查，”蘋果公司在宣布這項稽查行動開始時表示。蘋果公司CEO庫克(Tim Cook)是這么說的： “我們相信，全世界的勞工均有權在一個安全且公平的環(huán)境下工作，這就是為什么要求FLA對我們最大供貨商的表現(xiàn)展開獨立評估之故。而無論就規(guī)模與范圍來看，目前正進行中的這項調(diào)查都是電子產(chǎn)業(yè)中前所未見的。” 事實上，對于富士康欣然同意接受調(diào)查這一點，我并不能認同。我想很少有公司能夠做到這一點吧！不管是多么毫無瑕疵的一條制造產(chǎn)線，認可這樣的稽查行動都不可 避免地會帶來一些問題。富士康顯然是迫于壓力下同意的。這是因為蘋果是該公司迄今為止的最大客戶，并曾力助于使其成為EMS排名之首，他們?nèi)绾文芫芙^蘋果這樣的要求呢？

富士康員工網(wǎng)上曬午餐Ztcesmc

蘋果公司必須設法轉(zhuǎn)移勞工保護團體的抗議聲浪以及媒體嚴密的質(zhì)疑，這一調(diào)查行動及其結(jié)果剛好能夠擔保任何指責直接加諸于富士康公司。此外，富士康也可望進一步洗刷自己的聲譽，并阻止各種想利用這一點來打擊蘋果公司的策略。 本文下一頁：加薪不是萬能的，但是不加薪… 本文授權編譯自EBN Online，版權所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載

相關閱讀：
• 勞工協(xié)會：富士康的工作條件遠優(yōu)于中國工廠平均水平
• 符合人道標準的iPhone 5是癡人說夢
• 講不出再見：當蘋果賴上富士康Ztcesmc

{pagination} 加薪不是萬能的，但是不加薪… 另一方面，富士康公司在上周宣布，將自二月起為制造 iPhone 和 iPad 的中國工人們調(diào)高約16-25%的薪資。根據(jù)路透社報導，這已經(jīng)是該公司自2010年以來在不到兩年的時間內(nèi)第三度調(diào)高薪資了。因此，基層員工的基本薪資將由三年前每月約900元人民幣，調(diào)高到目前可能高達2,200人民幣(約350美元)的薪資。 這樣的加薪幅度實在令人難以置信，而且也可能是制造業(yè)中前所未有的。然而，富士康卻還能在不將成本轉(zhuǎn)嫁給蘋果的情況下做到這一點的──特別是這一制造業(yè)務所能取得的利潤極其微薄。這有可能是富士康過去對于蘋果索價過高，要不然就是富士康現(xiàn)在能夠在不影響投資人期待的情況下自行吸收額外的成本。無論是哪一種情況，都不可能讓 iPhone 、 iPad 和 iPod 等終端產(chǎn)品銷售價格增加來補償多出來的成本開銷。 而從另一個角度來看，不斷地提高中國工人的薪水，而未見改善勞動環(huán)境與條件，這對于改善中國勞工的問題又能帶來多少幫助呢？ 我想回到本文一開始的問題。蘋果和富士康采取了這些措施，就能夠滿足勞工權利組織等批評者的要求嗎？不太可能的，因為這些行動并未受到任何期許──而且這一稽查行動發(fā)生的時間點以及FLA扮演的角色令人質(zhì)疑等種種議題出現(xiàn)后，還可能讓這些措施的成效大打折扣。 就在FLA開始調(diào)查富士康廠房的兩天后，F(xiàn)LA總裁Auret van Heerden初步造訪富士康后就對路透社記者表示這家EMS供貨商的廠房設施是一流的，工作條件遠高于其它產(chǎn)業(yè)的代工廠，因而引發(fā)一場批評風暴。 蘋果公司的批評者們緊咬這一聲明指稱，蘋果公司故意選擇一家立場明顯偏頗的組織來調(diào)查其供貨商，同時，蘋果公司就是FLA付費會員的身份也被質(zhì)疑是在“粉飾太平”。接著，F(xiàn)LA總裁Auret van Heerden旋即改口表示，富士康深圳廠還“有許多問題”需要解決…… 我想，蘋果和富士康顯然還得付出更多努力，才能讓大家相信他們的行動是光明磊落的。 在接下來的編輯觀點中，我還會密切觀察并分析蘋果公司的種種行動，及其對于電子產(chǎn)業(yè)、高科技OEM及其廣大供應鏈所具有的意義，也歡迎讀者們分享你的看法。 編譯：Susan Hong 本文授權編譯自EBN Online，版權所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文：Will Apple, Foxconn, & Sweeteners Satisfy Labor Activists?，by Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief

相關閱讀：
• 勞工協(xié)會：富士康的工作條件遠優(yōu)于中國工廠平均水平
• 符合人道標準的iPhone 5是癡人說夢
• 講不出再見：當蘋果賴上富士康Ztcesmc

{pagination} Will Apple, Foxconn, & Sweeteners Satisfy Labor Activists? Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief Foxconn Electronics Inc. is either one of the most loyal corporate partners in the electronics manufacturing community or a patsy for its biggest customer, Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) Before you charge me with being too harsh on the world's No. 1 electronics manufacturing services provider, consider two recent developments. First, early this week, the Fair Labor Association began auditing Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, China, under instructions from Apple, which faces a barrage of accusations of condoning labor violations at plants that make its products. Apple said the audits were "voluntary." That implies Foxconn readily and willingly allowed FLA workers to turn the floodlights on its operations. "Apple's suppliers have pledged full cooperation with the FLA, offering unrestricted access to their operations," Apple said when it announced the beginning of the inspections. CEO Tim Cook had this to say: We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we’ve asked the FLA to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers. The inspections now underway are unprecedented in the electronics industry, both in scale and scope, and we appreciate the FLA agreeing to take the unusual step of identifying the factories in their reports. I don't accept the notion that Foxconn cheerily invited the scrutiny. Few companies would ever do this. Granting such access inevitably turns up something, no matter how spotless a manufacturing facility might be. Foxconn agreed under pressure. Apple is by far its biggest customer and helped propel it to the top of the EMS rankings. The idea of turning down such a request from Apple is laughable. Apple needed to deflect complaints from workers' rights advocates and an intensely inquisitive press, and this move ensured that any blame would be placed squarely on Foxconn's doorstep. That's the first evidence that Foxconn is willing to take a blow for Apple. But Foxconn is going further to burnish its own reputation and stop those who want to use it as a cudgel against Apple. Today, it announced that salaries for workers making iPhones and iPads in China will go up 16-25 percent starting in February. This will be the third hike in just under two years, according to a Reuters report. Junior-level worker salaries could rise to 2,200 yuan (about $350) per month from as low as 900 yuan three years ago. Such a hike is incredible and probably unprecedented in manufacturing. Somehow, though, Foxconn is able to swing it without necessarily pushing the cost back to Apple in a business with extremely thin margins. Either Foxconn was overcharging Apple before, or it can now absorb the extra costs without disappointing investors. Whatever the case might be, iPhone, iPad, and iPod prices are unlikely to increase at a double-digit rate to offset the additional costs. I want to return to the question at the top of this page. Will these steps taken by Apple and Foxconn satisfy their critics? Probably not, and this won't be because the actions are not commendable. They are. What may detract from the effectiveness of these moves are issues such as the timing and the controversial role the FLA is playing. Two days after the FLA supposedly began its review of the Foxconn facilities, its president, Auret van Heerden, set off a firestorm of criticism by telling Reuters the EMS provider's plants are "first-class." Apple critics have seized on this statement to claim that it selected an organization already seen as partial to businesses to audit its suppliers. However one looks at it, Apple and Foxconn still have much to do to convince folks their operations are above board. In a subsequent blog, I will write about what Apple's actions mean for other electronics and high-tech OEMs and their extended supply chain.