Apple Discovers Underage Workers After Stepping Up Labor Audits

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple Inc. stepped up audits of working conditions at major suppliers last year, discovering multiple cases of underage workers, discrimination and wage problems. The iPhone and iPad maker, which relies heavily on Asian-based partners like Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group to assemble the vast majority of its iPhones and iPads, said on Thursday that it conducted 393 audits, up 72 percent from 2011, reviewing sites where over 1.5 million workers make its gadgets.