Indian officials visit Foxconn iPhone plant in Chennai over hiring policy

New Delhi, July 3

Indian labour officials visited a Foxconn factory in the country’s south this week and questioned executives about the company’s hiring practices, an official said, after Reuters reported that the major Apple supplier has been rejecting married women from iPhone assembly jobs.

A five-member team of the government’s regional Labour Department visited the Foxconn factory near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, on July 1 and spoke to company directors and human resources officials, A Narasaiah, the regional Labour Commissioner, told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday.

Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Apple did not address questions from Reuters about the visit. A Reuters investigation published last week found Foxconn systematically excluded married women from assembly jobs at its main Indian iPhone plant on the grounds they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts.

The inquiries come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government asked state officials and the office of the government’s Regional Chief Labour Commissioner last week to provide detailed reports on the matter, following Reuters’ investigation into hiring practices at the manufacturing facility.

“We are collecting information, and have asked the company to submit documents,” Narasaiah said. “They told us they are not discriminating,” Narasaiah said Foxconn told the labour officials the factory employs 41,281 people, including 33,360 women. Of these women, some 2,750, or about 8 per cent, were married, he said, citing Foxconn’s submission. — Reuters

Married women ‘excluded’ from jobs

A Reuters investigation published last week found Foxconn systematically excluded married women from assembly jobs at its main Indian iPhone plant on the grounds they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts.