Employee Working Conditions for Apple Factories Under Investigation [2nd Apr 2012]
The company which manufactures Apple goods in China has been accused of serious problems in a report this week. Foxconn was the subject of an investigation by the Fair Labour Association and it was found to have poor working conditions and abuse of employees. Foxconn had said it would make improvements including looking into compensation however anti-sweatshop campaigners have suggested that there may be a whitewash of the situation as the company investigating the issues was set up by Apple themselves along with other large companies such as Nike and Adidas. Foxconn had experienced a spate of suicides at the plant, where workers live around the clock and work long shifts. The amount of compensation which is paid to energy firms if they are forced to switch off their power stations has risen to record amounts over the last year. £283 million is expected to be paid out in compensation if the national grid is unable to cope with the amount of energy it receives from energy companies during 2011 and 2012. In the previous year the amount was £170 million. The figures have been provided by the National Grid and they confirm that this years payment is expected to be the highest ever. It is thought that the problem is being compounded by the numbers of individuals and companies which are selling energy back to the grid from renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. The compensation payments which are known as 'constraint payments' are paid out if the energy company are asked to close down operations due to over capacity. A spokesperson for Energy Action has said that these payments will be paid for some time yet, but the government has said it will work with energy companies to keep the costs to a minimum. Ofgem is working on solutions to increase the amount of space on the grid. An Iraq veteran has received £1 million compensation after he was given accommodation on the tenth floor of a tower block while he recovered from spinal injuries. Jason Sylvestre won the damages from the Ministry of Defence after the judge in his case ruled that he had been let down by the NHS and the Army. Mr Sylvestre was injured when his car overturned after a tire blowout in Iraq. Despite being initially paralysed, he was sent to live in the tower block just 11 days after the accident. He struggled to cope and received inadequate care and treatment over the next few months. If he had received better care it is thought he would not have been left with permanent damage to his right hand and the psychological problems he now suffers with, including post traumatic stress disorder and depression. The compensation was broken down into one payment of £140,000 for his pain and losses while further payments will be paid for his future care and past earnings. The profits of insurance company Admiral have improved in recent months after the number of personal injury compensation claims decreased by 10%. The company made a profit of £299 million last year which was up by 13% on the previous year and was better than the £289 million which was predicted. However early last year analysts had predicted a 22% improvement in profits - a figure which was changed toward the end of the year. The company has stated that the improved profit figures have come from a drop in personal injury claims during the last half of the year. This fall of around 10% has been industry wide. David Stevens from Admiral has commented that rising petrol prices, lower incomes and higher policy costs had all led to fewer people driving, therefore lower accident rates. |
Search for Solicitors Near You :
- Solicitors in the UK
- Solicitors in Scotland
- Solicitors in England
- Solicitors in Greater London
- Solicitors in Wales
- Solicitors in Northern Ireland
Get Updates Via Facebook
LATEST NEWS
19 JUN
17 JUN
15 JAN
Popular News Stories:
Compensation for wifes death cut after claimants uncovered affair - www.telegraph.co.uk
MG workers to get £3 each in trust fund compensation - www.bbc.co.uk
Personal injury claims exposures could lead to insurer ratings downgrades - www.insuranceage.co.uk
MG workers to get £3 each in trust fund compensation - www.bbc.co.uk
Personal injury claims exposures could lead to insurer ratings downgrades - www.insuranceage.co.uk