IT People Association of HK calls out Apple for unfair dismissal of staff

The IT People Association of Hong Kong (ITPA), a member of the Federation of Trade Unions, has held a meeting with Apple employees on 9 August 2021.

This comes as it received a large amount of complaints from Apple employees that since the beginning of 2020, the company has dismissed more than 200 employees in batches on unreasonable grounds without any compensation.

ITPA said that according to employees it has spoken to, Apple is suspected of cutting jobs on various pretexts to avoid compensation and corporate responsibility amidst the outbreak. Calling the behavior “extremely irresponsible”, ITPA said the dismissals were unreasonable.

It also asked Apple's management to offer an explanation regarding the issue and compensate the loss experienced by employees who were asked to leave. Apple is also required to respond within 12 working days otherwise ITPA will take further action.

According to several media reports, some employees were said to have been dismissed for accepting gifts and coupons after joining a medical check-up scheme. A report on The Standard quoted Bill Tang Ka-piu from the federation of suspecting that the loopholes in its regulations were used to cut staff headcount due to the difficult business environment during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Apple Singapore was recently fined SG$1,000 by Singapore Tourism Board for allowing a social event within the premises on 18 June. More than 50 employees gathered at the event to celebrate an employee's final day at the establishment.

Serene Tan, STB's director, safe management measures operations told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the penalty enforced for the breach of safe management measures at the Apple store is in line with penalties enforced for other workplace safe management measures breaches under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.

Under Singapore’s COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, permitted enterprises must not cause an event involving its employees for social purposes. The COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act passed in Parliament on 7 April last year and first-time offenders will face a fine of up to SG$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Repeat offenders may face a fine of up to SG$20,000, imprisonment of up to twelve months, or both.

Recently, Apple also released announcements of the iPhone 13 and other new products such as the latest version of the Apple Watch and the new iPad Mini. The iPhone maker also made new moves in the streaming and fitness space, and shortly after, released new marketing tools for developers to create custom marketing assets. As consumers set their sights on Apple's latest gadgets, here are three moves Apple has made that will interest the marketing community.

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