uses , ▁but ▁when ▁an ▁aud iting ▁team ▁from ▁Apple ▁found ▁that ▁workers ▁had ▁been ▁working ▁longer ▁hours ▁than ▁were ▁allowed ▁under ▁Chinese ▁law , ▁they ▁promised ▁to ▁prevent ▁workers ▁working ▁more ▁hours ▁than ▁the ▁code ▁allowed . ▁Apple ▁h ired ▁a ▁work place ▁standards ▁aud iting ▁company , ▁Ver ité , ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁Electron ic ▁Indust ry ▁Code ▁of ▁Con duct ▁Im plementation ▁Group ▁to ▁over see ▁the ▁measures . ▁On ▁December ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁workers ▁at ▁the ▁Fox conn ▁factory ▁in ▁Long h ua , ▁Sh enz hen ▁formed ▁a ▁union ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁All - Ch ina ▁Federation ▁of ▁Trade ▁Un ions , ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government - appro ved ▁union ▁um bre lla ▁organization . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁workers ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁at ▁a ▁Fox conn ▁operations ▁in ▁China . ▁Apple , ▁H P , ▁and ▁others ▁stated ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁investig ating ▁the ▁situation . ▁Fox conn ▁gu ards ▁have ▁been ▁vide ot aped ▁be ating ▁employees . ▁Another ▁employee ▁killed ▁himself ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁when ▁an ▁Apple ▁prototype ▁went ▁missing , ▁and ▁claimed ▁in ▁messages ▁to ▁friends , ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁be aten ▁and ▁inter rog ated . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁i Pod ▁was ▁produced ▁by ▁about ▁ 1 4 , 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁ 2 7 , 0 0 0 ▁over