Apple denies exploiting workers at Chinese factories, claims working conditions 'on the up'

Apple has reportedly denied reports that said workers at its factories are paying huge sums of money to produce goods and are being subjected to inhuman work conditions.

An investigation aired on BBC's Panorama in the U.K. in December and on ABC's Four Corners last night showed that workers were being "treated like prisoners" and "forced to sign work sheets that show them agreeing to long hours of overtime," reported News.com.au.

The footage was produced by undercover reporters, armed with hidden cameras, who infiltrated Apple's factories and secretly recorded the goings on behind closed doors at Pegatron, an electronics manufacturing company in China where iPhones and iPads are assembled.

The report said that its undercover reporters were overwhelmed by the workload. It added that work shifts had "built-in" overtime in strong contrast to the company's policy that stipulates that all overtime must be strictly voluntary. Also, workers did more than 60 hours a week.

A clip showing an iPhone 6 testing area, captured almost all of its employees asleep at their work station.

Following the suicides of 14 workers at a separate Taiwanese Apple production factory in 2010, Apple had promised to take the rights of its workers seriously including, improved working conditions. However, four years on, while there is no denial of the footage, Apple's Senior Vice President, Operations, Jeff Williams, defended the firm by saying, "we are aware of no other company doing as much as Apple to ensure fair and safe working conditions, to discover and investigate problems, to fix and follow through when issues arise, and to provide transparency into the operations of our suppliers."

The iPhone maker denied the allegations, claiming that their conditions and standards are on the up.

More than 1,400 Apple employees worked in China's manufacturing operations.