Apple admits child labour was used to build iPods and iPhones in Chinese factories



Technology giant Apple has admitted that child labour has been employed at some of the factories that build its iPods, computers and mobile phones.

An audit found that at least eleven 15-year-old children were found to be working in three factories that supply Apple in the last year.

It said that child workers were now no longer being used at the sites, or were no longer underage.

Audit: A report found at least 11 under age children were working at factories, many of them in China, which produce Apple components in the last year

The exact location of the factories has not been identified. Apple has factories which supply parts in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, the U.S., the Czech Republic, Malaysia and the Philippines, but most of its products are assembled in China.

The audit also found one facility had attempted to conceal evidence of employing underage labour, while two others had falsified records relating to the number of working hours and days of rest employees were receiving.

Apple has been repeatedly criticised for using factories which abuse workers and impose harsh conditions on workers.

Last week, 62 workers at a factory which makes parts for Apple and Nokia were hospitalised after being poisoned by n-hexane, a toxic chemical commonly used in technology which can cause muscular degeneration and blurred eyesight.

The company has not commented on the problems at the plant, which is in Suzhou, China.

A spokesman for Wintek, which runs the factory, said that almost all of affected staff were back at work.

The audit report revealed that at least 55 of factories which produced Apple goods were ignoring rules that staff must not work more than 60 hours a week.

One of the plants had falsified records for two years in a row in order to conceal that it was using child labour and overworking staff.

It said: 'When Apple investigated further, we uncovered additional records and conducted worker interviews that revealed excessive working hours and seven days of continuous work.

'Based on the repeat core violation and inadequate actions, Apple is terminating all business with this facility.'

The report also found 35 per cent of staff were paying incorrect wages, with 24 factories in China paying less than the national minimum wage of £76 a month.



Three facilities were stopped from disposing of hazardous waste after they were found to have employed non-certified disposal companies.



And 20 facilities were found to be conducting pregnancy tests on workers before employing them.



Apple has not stopped using those factories to make components.



Last year, the company found a total of 25 child workers had been employed to make iPods and iPhones.

