Apple has fully backed a report published by the Fair Labor Association detailing inadequate working conditions and multiple abuses of labour codes at Foxconn, one of its main suppliers.

The report, conducted by researchers who logged close to 3,000 hours in three factories, was based on an in-depth assessment that included a survey of more than 35,000 Foxconn employees, who answered more than 2,200 questions, as well as hundreds of on- and off-site interviews. Workers completed the questionnaires on a computer or iPad, the report said. The main areas of focus included working hours and compensation, and health and safety.

Foxconn wages are higher than the Chinese average and the legal minimum, but the report found that 14 per cent of employees may not receive “fair compensation for unscheduled overtime”. In addition, 64.3 per cent of workers believed their pay was insufficient to cover their basic needs.