10 things you need to know today: March 30, 2012

An audit of Apple&#039;s Chinese factories reveals violations of both Apple&#039;s and China&#039;s labor rules.

(Image credit: CC BY: Dru Bloomfield - At Home in Scottsdale)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. AFTER CITATION, APPLE SUPPLIER VOWS REFORMS

The Fair Labor Association on Thursday reported 43 violations at Foxconn's factories in China, where 40 percent of the world's electronic products, including those for Apple, Dell, and HP, are manufactured. Violations included having employees work more than 60 hours a week, and in some instances more than 11 days in a row. Foxconn was also criticized for numerous accidents, overcrowded dorms, and wages that workers say do "not meet their basic needs." Facing a growing outcry, Apple recently joined the Fair Labor Association and called for an investigation of plants that make its gadgets. Following the report, Foxconn, which is the largest employer in China, vowed to significantly increase workers' compensation and lessen their hours. [New York Times]

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The House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget, which proposes sharp cuts to entitlement programs and government spending to slash $5.3 trillion from the deficit over the next decade. Voting fell along party lines. It is highly unlikely to pass in the Senate. On Wednesday, the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction proposal was soundly rejected in the House, with just 38 members voting for it. [Washington Post]

Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board is expected on Friday to approve the one-million-signature petition to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker, paving the way for a June 5 special election, after a Democratic primary on May 8. Democrats and unions have had it out for Walker since he pushed through legislation that effectively ended collective bargaining for public employees. [Associated Press]

On Friday, Japanese Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka ordered missile units to be ready to intercept the long-range rocket North Korea is expected to launch next month, if the rocket or its debris threaten Japan. Pyongyang has said the rocket is being launched to carry a satellite into orbit, but many countries, including the U.S. and Japan, suspect its real purpose is to test weapons. [Associated Press]

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