APPLE admitted some of its suppliers continued to overwork and underpay employees, as it threw open its factory doors to monitors after a spate of suicides at a Chinese plant.

After fielding heavy criticism for not policing conditions for the workers who produce its popular iPads, iPhones and other products, Apple on Friday divulged its list of suppliers and said it would allow an outside labor rights group to monitor them.

Meanwhile an annual internal audit of its supply chain showed that just 38 percent of the company’s suppliers adhered to Apple’s own standard of a maximum 60 hour work week and minimum one day off per week.

One-third of its suppliers were negligent in managing hazardous substances, and the same portion were below standard in injury prevention practice.

The company said it believed it had eliminated child labor among its final assembly suppliers.

“We will continue regular audits and go even deeper into our supply chain to ensure that there are no underage workers at any Apple supplier,” it said in the report.

It also said it had forced suppliers last year to reimburse workers for some $3.3 million they paid in excess broker fees to get jobs at Apple supplier plants. Apple said it had forced a total of $6.7 million in such reimbursements since 2008.   AFP