A recent report emerged that suggested that Apple and Foxconn have been employing large numbers of temporary workers in their factory in China, in turn violating the country's labour laws. Apple has responded to the report admitting the number of temporary staff "exceeded [its] standards" but it denied other claims that the workers were not getting bonuses and that they were being made to work overtime.

"We have confirmed all workers are being compensated appropriately, including any overtime wages and bonuses, all overtime work was voluntary and there was no evidence of forced labour," Apple told BBC in a statement.

Representational image. Image: Reuters

China Labour Watch (CLW) is a non-profit advocacy group which investigates working conditions in Chinese factories. For this investigation, CLW's staff worked undercover in Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant in China, according to a report by Bloomberg. It found that for the month of August, around 50 percent of the workforce was temporary staff. Chinese labour law says that there can't be more than 10 percent temporary staff at any time.

Apple has acknowledged that it found the percentage of temporary staff to be higher than their standard and that it is working closely with Foxconn to fix the issue. CLW says that the number has now fallen from 50 percent to 30 percent, but that still violates Chinese labour laws.