As I am sure you are aware the FLA is investigating iPhone and iPad maker Foxconn at Apple’s request to determine the welfare of workers and working conditions; however there has now been an accusation that underage workers at Foxconn were hidden ahead of the Fair Labor Association visit.

According to an article over on Apple Insider, Debby Sze Wan Chan, the project officer of Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) a Hong Kong based non-governmental organisation, claims she last week heard from two workers at Foxconn in Zhenghou, that the company was “preparing for the inspection” by the FLA.

Chan went on to say that the workers told her all underage employees between the ages of 16 and 17 were either sent to other departments or not scheduled any overtime, whilst another worker at Foxconn in Chengdu said she was normally allowed just one break a day but recently because of the FLA audit was allowed three breaks a day.

Apparently for two years Chan has been waiting for a reply from Apple after trying to contact the firm and even visited Apple in Cupertino to deliver documentaries, petition cards and reports but she says the receptionist refused to take the SACOM documents.

SACOM also tried to deliver a Sum of Us petition to an Apple store in Hong Kong on Tuesday however no one would accept the petition.

Foxconn recently announced a wage rise between 16 and 25 percent; however Chan says it is still not enough to deliver a liveable wage for workers.

One does have to say here that if a company is indeed using underage workers letting the company know beforehand that there will be an inspection obviously give them the time needed to make sure those underage workers are not discovered so perhaps there should be no forewarning of such audits don’t you agree?