Workers at a Chinese factory producing popular iPod music players work "longer hours than permitted", according to the Apple Computer Inc.'s recently released results of an investigation of alleged labour rights violations in the factory.

Apple dispatched an audit team to investigate Foxconn, a unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which produces its popular iPod music players after British newspaper Mail on Sunday in June reported about labour rights violations in the factory. (For details, see: iPod manufacturer Foxconn admits breaking Chinese Labour Law, iPod supplier factories in China operate in "slave" conditions, British newspaper reports)

The audit team interviewed only 100 of the 30,000 workers at the plant. The Apple's statement said: "We found no instances of forced overtime and employees confirmed in interviews that they could decline overtime requests without penalty. We did, however, find that employees worked longer hours than permitted by our Code of Conduct, which limits normal workweeks to 60 hours and requires at least one day off each week.

"We reviewed seven months of records from multiple shifts of different productions lines and found that the weekly limit was exceeded 35% of the time and employees worked more than six consecutive days 25% of the time. Although our Code of Conduct allows overtime limit exceptions in unusual circumstances, we believe in the importance of a healthy work-life balance and found these percentages to be excessive."

Janek Kuczkiewicz, director of human and trade union rights at the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), told the BBC News that Apple's report was not impressive. "Apple interviewed just 100 people out of the estimated 30,000 iPod workers. We do not know the conditions in which the interviews were held. We have serious reservations about the report," he said.

The Apple audit team said workers at the factory earned "at least the local minimum wage" and that half of the 100 people it interviewed earned above that amount. However, the original report in the Mail on Sunday said workers at the factory earned as little as £27 per month.

Sources: Apple Computer Inc. Press Release (17 August 2006) (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/ipodreport/), BBC News (18 August 2006), http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5262110.stm

22 August 2006