Apple said today it was working to resolve a dispute over alleged labor abuses by an iPod manufacturer in China, reports the Associated Press. “Hongfujin Precision Industry Co., a major exporter owned by a Taiwanese company, filed a defamation lawsuit against two journalists at the state-run newspaper China Business News who ran stories alleging that workers on iPod assembly lines worked under harsh conditions for low pay,” notes the story. Apple spokesperson Jill Tan said that “Apple is working behind the scenes to help resolve this issue,” but would not comment further.