The linked article alleges pollution not worker abuse. I'm not saying that (a) hazardous waste is ok or (b) that all of Apple's subcontractors behave perfectly, but this seems like a case of shifting ground to score points.
In general, Apple gets a lot of flak from environmental groups simply because it's the target that will make news. This means that Apple has to be especially careful. Would anyone care or be surprised if Dell were polluting an estuary?