Apple releases China iPod worker investigation

Apple has released the results of its investigation into whether workers at its iPod manufacturing plant in China have been subject to labour abuses.

The Mac maker employed an audit team to examine labour standards, working and living environment, compensation, overtime and worker treatment and to interview a cross-section of workers.

According to the report, Apple did find evidence of breaches in its code of conduct in the plant and "areas for improvement".

Among Apple's concerns are an overly complex wage structure and the standards of some dormitories for workers.

While both of those areas are being worked on, Apple also found staff are spending more than 60 hours per week at their jobs and are not always getting their mandated one day off per week.

The audit said: "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."

Working hours have now been brought in line with Apple's code of conduct.

Apple reported no evidence of child or forced labour in the manufacturing facility and found workers were making "at least local minimum wage", although did not add what minimum wage in China is considered to be.

The Cupertino company has now employed an external auditor to measure aspects of the Chinese plant's labour conditions, such as health and safety.