In its supplier responsibility progress report, Apple said it conducted 705 site audits last year - its largest number to date - and discovered nine instances of working hours falsification, two harassment violations and one case of an underage worker.

In 2016 a total of $2.6m was paid to more than 1,000 supplier employees to cover cases of bonded labor.

“To date, a total of $28.4m has been repaid to over 34,000 workers,” Apple said.

The company said that virtually all bonded labor violations occur during a supplier’s first assessment. “Repeat cases are very rare — the few such instances have resulted in the end of the business relationship,” the report said.

Apple said more than 98 percent of suppliers were now complying with its working hours guidelines.

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