[Victoria BC 01-26-12] Apple and many other tech companies were hit hard after the news report indicting them of partnering with companies in China that operate with exploitive labour practices. The biggest story recently was Foxconn and reports of worker suicides because of long hours and incredibly detailed by hand processes repeated hundreds/thousands of times every hour with no breaks.

Apple has made the decision to take the first step towards accountability in partnering with companies that practice fair labour. FINALLY, a tech company steps up. It makes sense that Apple would be the first one. Being located in the Bay Area in California which cuturally embraces equality and awareness towards injustice lends towards a company having people in leadership with a conscious. Mind you it took some uncovering in the media to take the first steps but better now than possibly never. Good on you Apple to take the first steps.

Below is an excerpt from ZDNet blog by Tom Foremski. To read it in its entirety click here.

For the first time, Apple has disclosed the identity of 156 suppliers, and said it will become the first tech company to join the Fair Labor Association (FLA). This means that the FLA will investigate Apple suppliers and issue regular reports on their labor practices.

“We’re extremely proud to be the first technology company admitted to the FLA,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations.

“Last year we performed more than 200 audits at our supplier’s facilities around the world. With the benefit of the FLA’s experience and expertise, we will continue to drive improvements for workers and provide even greater transparency into our supply chain.”

Apple can now claim it is the world’s first fair trade electronics maker, which sets a higher bar for competitors.