Foxconn’s fledgling Indian supplier chain is embroiled in a labor scandal following allegations that Apple’s supplier refused to rent married homes at its Tamil Nadu factory.
The National Human Rights Commission, India’s human rights watchdog, requested a detailed report on Foxconn’s hiring practices within a week of notifications to India’s Ministry of Labour and the Tamil Nadu state government.
The commission is the latest organization to put pressure on the Indian government over Foxconn following a Reuters report early last week that the Apple supplier was denying jobs to married women in the industry. meeting at its main iPhone factory near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Foxconn’s hiring and human resources agents quoted by Reuters blamed the policy on “family obligations, pregnancy and high absenteeism. “
Since the report was published, India’s opposition parties and the women’s wing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party have suggested that the government investigate.
In a statement, Foxconn refuted allegations of employment discrimination, claiming that approximately 25% of the women hired in its latest recruitment crusade were married. Foxconn outsources the hiring of its meeting line staff to third-party vendors.
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, began assembling iPhones in India in 2017. Firstly, it focused on older models, but started assembling Apple’s flagship phones in India in 2020. Last year, iPhone 15 models made in India were introduced to the market. Manufactured in China, a major milestone for Apple and Foxconn’s Indian manufacturing.
In addition to Apple, Foxconn manufactures for other brands such as Amazon, Google and Sony. Google is reportedly partnering with Foxconn to manufacture its Pixel phones in Tamil Nadu.
Foxconn’s operations in China have also been plagued by labor court cases in recent years. In November 2022, staff at its iPhone factory in Zhengzhou staged mass protests in opposition to overdue bills and closures due to COVID meals.