Dragging out the best deal: How billion dollar margins are played out on the backs of electronics workers

The aim of this overview is to describe the financial parameters that determine the relationship between the EMS and the Brand Names – and to demonstrate the impact of this model on workers and working conditions.

The relationship between Brand Names like Apple, Dell and HP and their contracted Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) partners - that make their products in factories around the globe - is principally determined by cost, speed and flexibility. Other factors such as quality – and, to a lesser extent, sustainability along with social responsibility – play a secondary role in that relationship.