为中国工人请命“苹果”陷毒风暴

苹果公司发布2011年度的“供应商责任進展报告”，要求中国的供应商在劳工的职业损伤方面，应担负起工人健康安全的社会责任，不过这份报告被大陆媒体视为苹果的一大丑闻，予以负面报导。苹果公司第一次在中国遭受了负面新闻的风暴袭击。

苹果公司在这份25页的报告中，详细披露了2010年“苹果”对「富士康自杀事件」的调查过程，也公开向外界证实，“苹果”在华供应商「联建（中国）科技有限公司」的137名工人“因暴露于正己烷（Hexane）环境，健康遭受不利影响”。“苹果”认定「联建科技」在生产中存在严重违规，要求供应商必须立刻纠正，保证工人的健康、安全及人权。苹果公司会持续跟踪供应商的改正和预防措施。

虽然这不是苹果第一次发布“供应商责任進展报告”，但因此在中国遭受「负面新闻」却是第一次。大陆媒体纷纷报导“毒苹果”、“苹果神话落幕”；或将“苹果”与“血汗工厂”相提并论；而有些媒体干脆将「联建科技」的中毒工人直接称为了“苹果员工”。

事实上，「联建科技」的中毒工人并非苹果员工，「联建科技」也只是苹果的一个普通供应商而已，不只是为苹果一家公司供货。

由于苹果对「联建」订购的手机显示屏质量要求严格，稍有瑕疵就无法通过验收，因此，为了降低次品率，「联建科技」要求一个生产车间使用了比酒精便宜的“正己烷”作为清洗剂，進行擦拭显示屏作业。

正己烷对人体有危害性，导致部分员工出现头晕、手脚麻木等中毒症状。

与苹果的大量负面新闻相反，很少有大陆媒体提到事件中让工人使用“正己烷”的供应商「联建科技」，以及苏州地方政府管理部门应该在事件中负起怎样的责任。

苹果坦诚调查结果，并要求供应商担负起最高标准的社会责任，却受到了中国媒体的围剿。

英国《金融时报》特约撰稿人信海光撰文说，“苹果”的尴尬遭遇颇像几年前发生在南京的「彭宇事件」，彭宇由于好心帮助受伤的徐老太，却惹来一身官司。对当代中国人的道德信念造成不小的冲击。之后，在很多城市都发生过老人跌倒没有人敢出手相助的悲剧事件。而这次“苹果”因为高调宣示「供应链社会责任」而引发的负面效果，或许也会影响到其他跨国公司未来在中国践行「供应链社会责任」的态度与力度。

Apple』s safety efforts received negative media coverage in China

Apple releases its 2011 Supplier Responsibility
Progress Report, requesting its Chinese suppliers
to take responsibilities regarding workplace safety.
The report received negative Chinese media coverage
becoming Apple』s first scandal in China.

In the 25-page report, Apple gave details of the
investigation on the 2010 “Foxconn suicide” incident,
and affirmed 137 workers at Wintek Corp,
another one of Apple's suppliers, “suffered adverse
health effects following exposure to hexane”.
“Apple considered this series of incidents to be a core
violation for worker endangerment," the report said.
Apple requested remedial actions and will follow up
on the safety measures of its suppliers.

http://news.sina.com.cn/green/news/roll/2011-02-21/171321989467.shtml
This report marked the first time Apple received
negative media coverage in China.
Phrases such as “poisoned Apple”, “the end of the
Apple legend”, and “Apple sweatshop” appear
frequently in news reports. Some even refer to the
poisoned workers at Wintek as “Apple employees”.

The poisoned workers at Wintek are in fact not
employees of Apple, and Wintek Corp is only Apple』s
contractor that also supplies to many other companies.
Because Apple implements strict quality control,
in order to lower defective loss, Wintek used hexane
instead of more expensive alcohol as cleaning agent,
causing harm to some of its employees』 health.

On the contrary, the responsibilities of Wintek,
as well as the local government agencies,
are seldom mentioned in the news.
Apple』s transparency in investigation
and efforts in implementing workplace safety
has become the target of attack by Chinese media.

Xin Haiguang, special correspondent of the
Financial Times wrote: Apple』s situation is similar
to the “Peng Yu incident” in Nanjing 2 years ago.
Peng Yu』s was sued for helping an injured old lady,
which greatly affected the morals of Chinese people.
Today Apple』s procurement of “supply chain social
responsibility” is reflected negatively, which may
affect other foreign companies』 attitude and effort in
ensuring “supply chain social responsibility” in China.