That steep monetary price we pay for our Apple products seems like it’s enough already, but what most people don’t know is that these sleekly designed products come at a human cost also. According to  the New York Times, the Chinese company Foxconn, in charge of iPad assembly is violating Chinese labour laws: forcing it’s employees to work every day of the week without overtime. Employees reportedly suffer from leg swelling and cramped living conditions. The Daily Mail reported two explosions within iPad factories that killed 4 and wounded 77. As of January 27th, 2012, there are reports of 18 attempted suicides in Apple factories, preceded by the installation of suicide nets.The Mail also spoke to a former Apple executive that had this to say: “We’ve known about labor abuses in some factories for four years, and they’re still going on. Why? Because the system works for us.”

Personally, hearing about company with business ethics like this makes me shudder.   If Apple genuinely cared about improving the standards of their manufacturing plants, maybe they could just spend a little bit of the $250 they make selling each iPad to make a difference.

Article: Allegations of labor abuse in Apple’s iPad factories in China