In a recent audit conducted by Apple Inc. of the 102 factories that have been tasked with the manufacturing of Apple iPod, iPhone and Macintosh computer, the company has now revealed that, three of these manufacturing units were found be in direct violation of company policies, as they had employed eleven child laborers. As per the findings posted on the Apple Website, under the company’s ‘Supplier Responsibility‘ report, the child laborers in mention were found not to be active at the time of the audit.

Apple Inc., that has been known for its stringent company policies conducted the on site audits in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Philippines and the U.S, where in the revelation of child labor surfaced. Although, the company hasn’t revealed the names of the employers, yet it has confirmed, that the units in question did falsify identity records to employ underage workers. Apart from the gross child labor violation, 60 of the 102 facilities audited were found to have relegated more than acceptable amount of work to their employees, along with 24 manufacturing units, who were found to have paid their employees less than the standard minimum wages.

It has also been discovered, especially in Taiwan that, many of the foreign workers were forced to pay outrageous recruitment fees to employment services, in order to attain a job at Apple manufacturing units, which in turn violates the company’s policy of a standard recruitment fee, which is equivalent to an employee’s one month net salary.

According to Apple Inc.,

“Apple discovered three facilities that had previously hired 15-year-old workers in countries where the minimum age for employment is 16. Apple’s Code sets a maximum of 60 work hours per week and requires at least one day of rest per seven days of work.”

Via Bloomberg