The Taiwanese company WINTEK is one of the world’s leading producers of small size mobile phone panels and touch panels, and one of the major suppliers to Apple. The past months, hundreds of workers were laid off. Organisations in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China are strongly protesting Wintek’s decisons and are calling upon Apple, and other buyers, to apply its code of conduct. May 21, a protest will be staged at Apple Computer Taiwan. Read the latest press statement of the campaigning organisations.
STOP EXPLOITING LABOURS, SAY NO TO BLOODY APPLE
The global financial crisis remains serious all over the world but Apple Computer made an extremely big profit increase by 15% at Q1 ’09 compared to the last quarter. However, the truth is that the big profit Apple made has been proved to be the result of exploiting the workers not only in Taiwan but also in mainland China.
WINTEK (Owner: Huang Hsien-Hsiung, Address: No.10, Jianguo Rd., Tanzih Township, Taichung County, Taiwan) is one of the major suppliers of Apple Computer. The ranking of market share in small size mobile phone panels and touch panels is No.1 in Taiwan and No.3 worldwide. In the last couple months, WINTEK not only laid off but also exploited lots of workers in Taiwan and mainland China.
In Dec. 2008, WINTEK laid off over 600 workers in Taiwan without any notice in advance and kept cutting workers’ salary, forcing unpaid leaves on employees. Recently, WINTEK received big and urgent orders and tried to force workers to do more job without any vacation or overtime salary. The labour department of Taiwan government has already found proof of offenses during the inspection process on WINTEK. Besides, WINTEK’s factories in Dongguan also cut workers’ salary without any negotiation with them. Last but not the least, the food there is too bad for people and WINTEK has illegally laid off 19 workers who joined the strike against the foul working condition.
Apple Computer and WINTEK made their profit by sacrificing labours’ basic rights and exploiting labours illegally. Labour organizations worldwide can’t stand aside for it and has started a campaign to condemn WINTEK.
Labour organizations in Taiwan and WINTEK workers union will protest on May 21st, 2009 at Apple Computer Taiwan and ask Apple / WINTEK to promise to improve the working conditions before May 31st, 2009, “Stop exploiting the labours across the Taiwan Strait.”
Appeals / Demands
1. Apple must follow the international Supplier’s Code of Conduct and demand WINTEK to give the jobs back to the workers who were laid off in Taiwan and mainland China, withdraw the lawsuit of defamation, and promise no retaliation on workers.
2. Apple must follow the international Supplier’s Code of Conduct to demand WINTEK to improve its working condition immediately.
3. Apple must demand WINTEK to allow third-party labour unions or organization to enter the factories to conduct inspections on its working condition, explain the fact of the event in public and look into the responsibility. Besides, Apple should review its order to WINTEK based on the results of the inspection and WINTEK’s improvement.
4. Apple must respect the will of the representatives of labours and make direct talks with them. These representatives should be chosen by WINTEK workers in Taiwan and mainland China.
Organizations
Taiwan: National Federation of Independent Trade Unions, WINTEK bargaining team, Solidarity Union, Youth labor union 95, Taiwan Labor Information & Education Association, Confederation of Trade Union in Taipei City, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Tainan County and Kaohsiung County.
HongKong: Globalization Monitor, SACOM, HKCTU, Labour Action China
Mainland China: China Worker Studies
Japan: Asian Pacific Workers Solidarity Links.”
