Foxconn Chennai (India) has been put on Apple’s “Compliance Watch list” following the recent food poisoning fiasco that gathered international headlines. For those unaware, Foxconn is a Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer and the largest assembler of iPhones for Apple.
A recent report by Reuters on December 30 reveals that the 250 female workers who faced food poisoning in this event lived in overcrowded dormitories, there were no flush toilets, and sometimes bugs crawled in the food.
This, however, was a general phenomenon for many years, as stated by the six women workers who were interviewed. Things became serious when 250 workers were impacted by these working conditions, which led to a unique protest, leading to the factory’s closure for rectification.
The workers also revealed that they sleep on the room floor, which can accommodate 6 to 30 people. The law governing the housing of females in Tamil Nadu, India, requires that each person have at least 11 square meters of living space and that the housing complies with the sanitation and fire safety standards set by the local government.
These protests come at a time when Apple is looking towards expanding its iPhone 13 production in India as it seeks to reduce its reliance on China amid increased tension between America and China trade relations, and the shareholders have urged the company to increase the transparency of its suppliers.
As the factory has been shut down, Apple spokesperson said that “before the factory restarts, Apple will ensure that it meets strict standards.” however, the spokesperson did not disclose information regarding the improvements that need to be made or what standards need to be met.
On the other hand, Foxconn is reorganizing the local management team and is taking immediate measures to improve the living facilities of its workers. The company also stated that all its employees would continue to receive their compensation while the factory reopens and the necessary improvements are made.
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(Source)
