Apple’s 2013 audit results have revealed that during 2012 there was a considerable increase in the number of underage workers found at their suppliers with 106 cases found at over 11 suppliers.

This is compared to 2011 where Apple found just six cases at only five suppliers with the conclusion being that these were non-intentional.

While 106 is a considerable increase Apple found that 74 of these incidents were at just one facility resulting in the company severing all ties with the supplier.

Apple also found an increase in the number of suppliers that were discriminating by demanding pregnancy tests and medical testing before allowing people to work with over 30 facilities demanding the tests.

Some of these increases can be put down to the fact that Apple’s supplier workforce has increased to over 1,000,000.

In every case Apple reports that it has either severed ties with the supplier or demanded that the children be returned to school with the supplier required to finance their education whilst also paying them what they had been previously paid during employment.

In the audit the company clearly lays out its stance on underage labour saying, “Apple does not tolerate any instance of underage labor.”

“Whether we discover active workers or historical cases, we classify these as core violations. Apple demands immediate corrective actions and requires suppliers to fix their management practices to prevent further occurrences.”