Fujitsu Siemens Computers

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Written by: Irene Schipper

Written by: I. Schipper

Published on: 27 February 2007

This corporate social responsibility (CSR) company profile on Fujitsu Siemens Computers is part of a research project on the ICT hardware sector by SOMO, co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands. Other financers are member organisations of International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT) and two development organisations, namely Bread for All and the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund.1 In addition to this profile, profiles are made on Hewlett Packard, Acer, Dell, Apple, Toshiba, Sony and Packard Bell. The methodology used for the survey consists of: Website analyses; Analyses of annual- and CSR reports; Questionnaires to major computer brands sent by ICRT; Workers interviews in China, The Philippines, and Thailand; Interviews with the management of production sites. The research is conducted by SOMO in collaboration with research and labour organisations in China, The Philippines and Thailand: SACOM in China (Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior); the Workers’ Assistance Center, Inc (WAC) in The Philippines; the Centre for Labour Information Service and Training (CLIST) and Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Links (APWSL) in Thailand. The definition of CSR used by SOMO is based on the “CSR Frame of Reference” published by the Dutch CSR Platform: a Coalition of 30 Dutch Civil Society Organisations and Trade Unions actively promoting CSR.2 The first part of the profile provides a short general company overview and then focuses on the companies’ CSR policies and operational standards like supply chain responsibility, stakeholder involvement, independent verification and transparency and reporting. The second part of the profile provides research findings of the field studies on social issues including workers interviews. Where relevant, the non-compliance cases with the EICC code reported by the Center for Labor Reflection and Action (CEREAL) in its 2006 report are also included.3 For the analyses of the environmental policies and practices SOMO relies on the research reports of Greenpeace.4 Finally, this report also includes information on working conditions in the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) supply chain of Fujitsu Siemens Computers. The HHD market is dominated by six HDD manufacturers (Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toshiba, Seagate/Maxtor, Samsung and Western Digital), which together produce 98,4 percent of HDDs in the world5. A survey among computer repair shops and technical research department of the Dutch consumer organisation indicates that, similar to other PC brands, Fujitsu Siemens Computers uses HDDs of all 6 large manufacturers. This means that the suppliers of these 6 HDD manufacturers are also part Fujitsu Siemens Computers’ supply chain and therefore Fujitsu Siemens Computers can be held accountable for possible social and environmental problems at these second-tier suppliers. To prevent the publishing of any inaccurate information about the company subject in this profile SOMO has executed a review process in which the companies are requested to review the draft profile and inform SOMO about factual misunderstandings. The reaction of Fujitsu Siemens Computers on this request6 was that they want to point out that SOMO has listed a number of companies in the report which are definitely not their suppliers. But due to their company policy and also for legal reason, they cannot disclose the number and names of their suppliers or include detailed information about the relationship with single suppliers. For this reason SOMO cannot adjust the inaccurate information in this profile as indicated by Fujitsu Siemens Computers. Based on the research of SOMO, the ICRT member organisations together with the participating development organisations will be responsible for rating the included companies on CSR policies and practices and will publish their own publications based on this research.

Posted in category:

Publication

Written by:

Written by: Irene Schipper

Written by: I. Schipper

Published on: 27 February 2007