Recruiting in China

Apple Computer Inc.'s investigation into claims of poor working conditions at a Chinese iPod factory found no forced labor or other serious violations, the company said Friday.

Apple added that it was taking immediate steps to deal with excess overtime and other issues.

The probe by the Cupertino, California-based company, was in response to a report by a British newspaper, the Mail on Sunday, which alleged that workers at the factory were paid as little as 27 British pounds (US$50; euro40) a month and forced to work 15-hour shifts making the digital music players.

"The team reviewed personnel files and hiring practices and found no evidence whatsoever of the use of child labor or any form of forced labor," Apple said in a report on its Web site that summarized the findings of its audit of the facility.

However, the probe did find that in many cases workers were exceeding the company's limits for overtime, which specify a maximum of 60 hours or six days a week.

"We found no instances of forced overtime," the report said. But it said weekly limits were exceeded 35 percent of the time in a seven-month period and that employees worked more than six days in a row 25 percent of the time.

The company running the factory, which was not named in the report, was ordered to enforce Apple's overtime limits, it said.

The inspection also found that in at least two instances workers were made to stand to attention for disciplinary reasons.

"Apple has a zero tolerance policy for any instance, isolated or not, of any treatment of workers that could be interpreted as harsh," the report said. It said the factory has launched an "aggressive" manager and employee training program to prevent such behavior, it said.

While conditions in the factories, cafeterias and most dormitories were good, the audit found overcrowded conditions at two leased dormitories, which are now being expanded to allow more space.

The factory, which supplies electronics components and accessories to other companies as well as Apple, is a small city in its own right, with clinics, recreational facilities, buses and 13 restaurants serving its 200,000 workers.