Apple Hits Back At Report Alleging Long Hours And Low Pay In Chinese iPhone 5C Factory

Apple is not taking that report from China Labor Watch lying down. In a statement to Business Insider, the company says it has audited Jabil Circuit in Wuxi, China, 14 times since 2008, and three times in the last three years, and found it largely compliant with its standards.

"Year to date, Jabil Wuxi has performed above our 92% average for compliance with Apple's 60-hour per week limit," the company tells us.

(See Apple's full statement below.)

Through June 2013, Apple has gotten 99% compliance on keeping factory work hours under 60 hours per worker, per week:

Apple even has a team of compliance inspectors on-site at Jabil specifically to prevent worker abuse. The company does admit that "an audit completed earlier this year did find that some employees had worked more than six consecutive days without a day of rest," but the company is trying to stop that.

Read Apple's labor compliance reports here.

Here's Apple's full statement on conditions at Jabil Wuxi, the iPhone 5C factory:

Apple is committed to providing safe and fair working conditions throughout our supply chain. We lead the industry with far-reaching and specialized audits, the most transparent reporting and educational programs that enrich the lives of workers who make our products. Apple is the first and only technology company to be admitted to the Fair Labor Association, and we are dedicated to protecting every worker in our supply chain.

As part of our extensive Supplier Responsibility program, Apple has conducted 14 comprehensive audits at Jabil facilities since 2008, including three audits of Jabil Wuxi in the past 36 months. We take any concerns about our suppliers very seriously, and our team of experts is on-site at Jabil Wuxi to look into the new claims about conditions there. Jabil has a proactive auditing program of their own and they have an excellent track record of meeting Apple's high standards.

Employees at Jabil are among the 1 million workers in Apple's supply chain whose working hours we track each week and report on our website. Year to date, Jabil Wuxi has performed above our 92% average for compliance with Apple's 60-hour per week limit. An audit completed earlier this year did find that some employees had worked more than six consecutive days without a day of rest, and Jabil has been working with our team to better manage overtime.

We are proud of the work we do with our suppliers to improve conditions for workers. Our program goes far beyond monitoring by ensuring corrective actions where they are needed and aggressively enforcing our supplier code of conduct wherever Apple products are made. We believe in transparency and accountability, both for our suppliers and ourselves.