By Jérôme Goulon.
At the end of 2025, Apple and its industrial partner Foxconn are once again facing criticism regarding working conditions in the Chinese factories where the iPhoneDespite repeated commitments to respecting social rights, workers employed on the production lines of the brand's latest smartphone continue to operate in a difficult work environment marked by job insecurity, excessive overtime, and discriminatory practices. These are practices we denounce in Interviews for years, without things really changing.
The Californian company has become one of the most profitable on the planet, boasting a $100 billion cash reserve! This wealth stems from its high profit margins. Apple outsources the manufacturing of its devices to Foxconn, in factories located in China. This company employs over a million people and also produces for Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony. However, Foxconn is accused of exploiting its workers in inhumane conditions. Aware of the controversy, Apple joined the Fair Labor Association, which defends workers' rights worldwide. But working conditions haven't really improved. Interviews exposes Apple's hidden side.
Historically difficult working practices at the Zhengzhou factory
Apple has its products manufactured by the Taiwanese company Foxconn, which employs approximately 1,2 million people. Foxconn assembles iPhones at its Shenzhen and Zhengzhou plants in China. In 2010, based on hundreds of testimonies, Chinese academics published a report on the inhumane working conditions of its employees. Apple responded by imposing a "code of conduct" on its suppliers. The problem is that the situation hasn't really changed. Workers explain off the record that they aren't entitled to any breaks, not even to go to the bathroom, even though they can work 16 hours straight! The majority of them work 100 unpaid overtime hours per month. Their salary: approximately $290…
Investigations conducted over several years describe a work organization largely based on extended hours, sometimes exceeding legal limits, as well as delays in wage payments. These difficulties affect both permanent employees and temporary workers, who are particularly numerous during periods of high demand.
A frantic pace, workers filmed
The speed of the production line depends on the efficiency of the workers, who are therefore monitored by camera to detect those who are too slow! Talking, smiling, sitting down (for some), or making "unnecessary gestures" is forbidden. Approximately 13% of the workers interviewed admitted to having fainted while working. One worker even died of exhaustion after a 34-hour shift.
Minors on the production line?
An American journalist, Mike Daisey, claims to have met a 13-year-old Foxconn factory worker. Apple claims to be vigilant about child labor, but the girl asserts that 5% of its employees are between 12 and 17 years old. According to her, the factory is warned in advance of inspections, and underage employees are replaced by older ones.
Appalling living conditions
Workers live crammed into dormitories, where bunk beds are stacked high. Anti-suicide nets were even installed on the facades of Foxconn buildings for a time after workers jumped to their deaths! More than a third of employees complain of restrictions on their freedom of movement, with some being "kidnapped" at night from their dormitories to go work on the assembly line…
Insults and humiliations ?
Nearly 30% of workers have been insulted by their supervisors or security guards, and 16% admit to having suffered corporal punishment or humiliation. This is far from the legal labor standards in force in the United States or Europe. Apple's high profit margins come at this price. As a consumer, it's best to be aware of this…
The massive use of temporary workers in question
New revelations highlight a structural dependence on temporary workers. During peak production periods, more than half of the workforce, out of a total of approximately 200.000 people, are reportedly recruited under this status. This proportion far exceeds the limits permitted by Chinese regulations. Temporary workers are allegedly subjected to wage deduction mechanisms designed to prevent early resignations, placing them in a position of significant economic dependence.
Limited social rights and persistent discrimination
Temporary workers do not enjoy the same protections as permanent employees. Sick leave, health insurance, and pension contributions remain largely inaccessible to them. Investigations also report discrimination in hiring and job allocation. Certain ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hui, as well as pregnant women, are reportedly excluded by recruitment agencies, a practice described as systemic by observers.
Apple's official response to the accusations
Following these new revelations, Apple stated that it had "An investigation was immediately opened" internally. The company assures that it maintains a "Commitment to the highest standards in labor, human rights, the environment and ethical conduct"The group regularly reiterates that it audits its suppliers and requires its industrial partners to respect its social standards, while acknowledging the complexity of controlling very large-scale production chains.
It should be noted that while several workers confirm the existence of wage pressures and differential treatment, others believe that the conditions observed in Zhengzhou are not fundamentally different from those in other factories in the region. Infrastructure problems, such as air conditioning, access to hot water, and the quality of subsidized meals, are regularly cited as sources of dissatisfaction.
A choice forced by the economic situation
In a context of economic slowdown and increasing difficulties in the job market, particularly for young people, many workers explain that they accept these conditions due to a lack of alternatives. Some temporarily leave the factory before returning, highlighting the local economy's dependence on this industrial giant and the limited career options available in the region.
Debby Chan, Chinese activist:
« The production cost of an iPhone represents only 0,9% of its selling price.«
Debby Chan, a Chinese activist, is one of the authors of an audit on Foxconn. She describes the working conditions in the factories that produce, among other things, iPhones.
Interview: Why conduct an investigation at Foxconn factories?
Debby Chan: We were alarmed by the numerous suicides that had occurred there. We therefore decided to conduct an investigation, in collaboration with researchers from several universities. We met with about a hundred workers outside the factories, as Foxconn did not allow us access to the inside of the site. However, we managed to infiltrate the factories located in Shenzhen and Hangzhou by getting hired as workers.
What did you observe on site?
Overtime is no longer recorded and is rarely paid. When workers fail to meet their targets, they are penalized: punishments include group confessions and public humiliation. For example, they are forced to copy quotes from Foxconn's president, Terry Gou. Security guards verbally and physically abuse the workers. The harassment even extends to the dormitories…
There are no trade unions in China?
The unions are not democratically elected. The head of the Foxconn workers' union is none other than the director of public relations and the right-hand man of the president of Foxconn.
Are the companies that subcontract to these factories aware of this?
Most foreign companies that outsource to China conduct only limited and biased internal audits. Given that the production cost of an iPhone represents only 0,9% of its retail price, it's clear there's significant room for improvement in working conditions! We must put pressure on multinationals to enforce labor laws. This requires strong and independent unions.
