Apple supplier Foxconn said it will stop using illegal intern labour to assemble the iPhone X (AAPL)

apple iphone foxconn factory

Apple supplier Foxconn has admitted to using illegal intern labour to assemble the iPhone X.
Students said they worked 11-hour days, which is a breach of Chinese labour law.
The scandal comes after Apple reportedly faced delays in getting the iPhone X to customers.

Apple supplier Foxconn has said that it will stop using illegal intern labour in its factories that are used to assemble technology products for some of the world's biggest companies, according to a report by BBC News.

Foxconn's use of interns on its production lines was first reported by The Financial Times. Six students told the newspaper that they regularly work 11-hour shifts assembling Apple's new iPhone X, which is a breach of Chinese labour law. The Financial Times said that a group of 3,000 interns worked in Foxconn's factories.

The students, who were reportedly aged between 17 and 19, told The Financial Times that their work at Foxconn was work experience that they had to do in order to complete their education.

Now, Foxconn has told BBC News that it has ended its practice of letting interns work overtime. The company reportedly said that it took "immediate action to ensure that no interns are carrying out any overtime work," and claimed that "interns represent a very small percentage" of its overall workforce.

Apple told BBC News that it is "dedicated to ensuring everyone in our supply chain is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We know our work is never done and we'll continue to do all we can to make a positive impact and protect workers in our supply chain."

It's an embarrassing story for Apple, which has regularly faced criticism over the supply chain of its products. Apple had to ask Chinese mining company Huayou to stop using child labour after Sky News found it was using children aged four to mine for the material.

Foxconn has faced its own issues in the past: In 2010 a series of employees committed suicide after working long hours in the factory, which eventually lead to the company erecting suicide nets on its buildings to prevent future deaths.

The iPhone X faced production problems

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo covers Apple's supply chain in Asia and regularly covered delays with the iPhone X. He said that Apple faced shortages on key components of the device, which meant that it struggled to get the phones it needed ready for when it went on sale.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about the potential of delays to the iPhone X in an interview with BuzzFeed. The executive gave a rather diplomatic answer: "We'll see what happens, but we'll be working as hard as possible to make as many as possible.

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