Apple claims progress in supply chain, no child labor cases

Apple Inc., which has come under fire for the behavior of its suppliers, reported progress among its manufacturing partners during the tumultuous year of the coronavirus pandemic as it released a supply-chain responsibility report.

The Cupertino, California-based firm said improvements include a reduction in major violations of its code of conduct and no cases of child labor. The 113-page report covers a range of issues, from the treatment of workers to energy usage and infectious disease policies in the wake of Covid-19. It did cite several examples of suppliers failing to fulfill their duties and non-compliance with Apple’s working-hours policy.