With working conditions in Chinese factories still making headlines, Apple manufacturer Foxconn is going to be increasing wages, and Apple is reportedly going to allow independent environmental reviews of at least 2 of their suppliers, with the potential for more to follow. USA Today:

Ma Jun, founder of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, told USA TODAY in a phone interview Monday that Apple agreed to the independent reviews in late January in response to two reports that IPE and other environmental groups released last year documenting hazardous-waste leaks and the use of toxic chemicals at suspected Apple suppliers. [...] An independent review is necessary to "make sure that (it) is done in a transparent way," said Ma, whose group has had half a dozen meetings and calls with Apple since mid-September.

Because of Apple's size and success, activists are looking to Apple to lead the way and set the standard for responsible manufacturing in China.

Foxconn, one of Apple's principle suppliers and the subject of intense media attention over the last couple of years, has also said they'll be increasing workers' wages, and reducing overtime demands. The New York Times reports:

Foxconn said that salaries for many workers would immediately jump by 16 to 25 percent, to about $400 a month, before overtime.

Foxconn also manufactures products for Dell, HP, and others.

All this follows inspections by the Fair Labor Association and a tour by ABC News Nightline.

Source: USA Today, New York Times

Following recent incidents involving Apple's manufacturing partner, Foxxcon, Apple.com has posted a "Suppler responsibility progress report", the introductory page for which reads:

Apple is committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility wherever our products are made. We insist that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes.

Apple’s program is based on our comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines our expectations for the companies we do business with. We evaluate compliance through a rigorous auditing program and work proactively with our suppliers to drive change.

Similar to Apple's Green Initiative on the heels of ecological scrutiny, the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad maker is again handling response not by way of dialog but by way of large-scale program announcement.

Let us know what you think!

Engadget (via Commercial Times) adds to the 3G rumor heap with this doozie:

Foxconn (aka, Hon Hai) -- the maker of the 1st gen iPhone -- is ramping up 3G iPhone assembly by "the end of May" to ship 3 million units in June. It's expected to produce some 24-25 million units before the product reaches end of life.

June is rapidly becoming the bell of the release-prediction ball, especially with an almost certain Steve Jobs Keynote smack in the beginning of the month. If Jobs storms the stage at WWDC, 3G iPhone in hand, will 3 million units be enough to satisfy the rabid demand of early adopters, especially in Europe? And with Jobs having said he'd sell 10 million iPhone's from launch in June 2007 to end of 2008, is 25 million pie-in-the-sky dreaming for 2009, or the sign of massive international rollout to come?

What do you think?