Apple’s ‘fig leaf’?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>, <span word="with">with</span> “<span word="fig">fig</span> <span word="leaf">leaf</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="particular">particular</span>: <span word="Labor">Labor</span> <span word="monitor">monitor</span> <span word="selected">selected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Apple">Apple</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> ‘<span word="fig">fig</span> <span word="leaf">leaf</span>’.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="this">this</span>. <span word="Apple">Apple</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="iPods">iPods</span>, <span word="iPhones">iPhones</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="iPads">iPads</span>, <span word="have">have</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="allowing">allowing</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="contractors">contractors</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="operate">operate</span> <span word="sweat">sweat</span> <span word="shops">shops</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="assembly">assembly</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="workers">workers</span> <span word="toil">toil</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="harsh">harsh</span> <span word="conditions">conditions</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="pay">pay</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="counter">counter</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="accusation">accusation</span>, <span word="Apple">Apple</span> <span word="decided">decided</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="salvage">salvage</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="otherwise">otherwise</span> <span word="impeccable">impeccable</span> <span word="reputation">reputation</span> – <span word="after">after</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="churning">churning</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="impeccable">impeccable</span> <span word="products">products</span>.</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="Apple">Apple</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="directly">directly</span> – <span word="nor">nor</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="intend">intend</span> <span word="to">to</span>, <span word="either">either</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="suppose">suppose</span>. <span word="Instead">Instead</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="hired">hired</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="labor">labor</span> <span word="condition">condition</span> <span word="monitoring">monitoring</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Which">Which</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="turn">turn</span>, <span word="leads">leads</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="accusations">accusations</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="labor">labor</span> <span word="monitor">monitor</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="fig">fig</span> <span word="leaf">leaf</span>”. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Apple">Apple</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="PR">PR</span> <span word="gimmick">gimmick</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cover">cover</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="disclosure">disclosure</span>. <span word="This">This</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="Times">Times</span> (<span word="Critics">Critics</span> <span word="Question">Question</span> <span word="Record">Record</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Monitor">Monitor</span> <span word="Selected">Selected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Apple">Apple</span>, <span word="February">February</span> 13, 2017):</p><p><span word="Apple">Apple</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="announcement">announcement</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="monitoring">monitoring</span> <span word="group">group</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Fair">Fair</span> <span word="Labor">Labor</span> <span word="Association">Association</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="begun">begun</span> <span word="inspecting">inspecting</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="suppliers">suppliers</span>’ <span word="factories">factories</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="rekindled">rekindled</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="debate">debate</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="effective">effective</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="eliminating">eliminating</span> <span word="labor">labor</span> <span word="abuses">abuses</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="association">association</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="founded">founded</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1999, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="universities">universities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="nonprofit">nonprofit</span> <span word="groups">groups</span>, <span word="along">along</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Nike">Nike</span>, <span word="Liz">Liz</span> <span word="Claiborne">Claiborne</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="apparel">apparel</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="eager">eager</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eliminate">eliminate</span> <span word="workplace">workplace</span> <span word="abuses">abuses</span>; <span word="at">at</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="anti">anti</span>-<span word="sweatshop">sweatshop</span> <span word="groups">groups</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="pummeling">pummeling</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="apparel">apparel</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="abuses">abuses</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="overseas">overseas</span> <span word="factories">factories</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="used">used</span>.</p>
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