Mystery over video showing female workers 'forced to kiss male boss every morning'

A mystery video in which a man can be seen in an office kissing a line of uniformed women has sparked controversy, but there are claims it is "false".

The footage, which was reportedly shot at a brewery machine company in Beijing, China, appears to show an office boss demanding that his female employees kiss him on the lips.

The man, whose age is not clear, can be seen kissing a line of three women in turn. He kisses one woman, before stepping to the right and kissing another woman twice, before then doing the same with a third woman.

It was reported the boss required his female employees to kiss him each morning as part of “morale building" and to help “foster good relationships among colleagues”. Reports claimed the women were reluctant to do so but complied over fears they could lose their jobs.

The video drew widespread criticism in China because it seemed to confirm perceptions of working conditions and gender relations.

But since the reports swept the internet, there have been claims that it was "fake news", after several members of staff at the company said it didn't happen.

One woman working at the company that had been named in the reports told the New York Times: “It’s fake news. Look yourself [gesturing around her]. Our office doesn’t look anything like the office in the video.”

Another employee reportedly laughed when asked about the video during a reporter’s unannounced visit, pointing out that no one there was wearing the black-and-white uniforms seen in the clip, that the man in the video did not look like the boss at Hansens, and that the employees appeared to be passing something from mouth to mouth rather than kissing.