Amid the discriminatory hiring practices reveal, Indian labour officials visited a Foxconn factory in Tamil Nadu this week. The aim was to scrutinise the company’s hiring practices after allegations emerged that the major Apple supplier has been rejecting married women from iPhone assembly jobs.
A five-member team from the Federal government’s regional labour department inspected the Foxconn facility near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 1 July. The team questioned company directors and human resources officials.
The inquiries follow directives from the government, which last week requested detailed reports on the issue from state officials and the office of the federal government’s Regional Chief Labour Commissioner. This action was prompted by a Reuters investigation into the hiring practices at the manufacturing facility.
The officials have collected information and have asked the company to submit documents such as company policies, recruitment policies, as well as evidence of compliance with labour laws and information on maternity and retirement benefits.
Reportedly, Foxconn asserted that the factory employs 41,281 people, including 33,360 women. Of these women, approximately 2,750, or about eight per cent are married. However, Foxconn did not provide a specific breakdown of staffing figures for iPhone assembly, where the alleged discrimination occurred. Labour inspectors interviewed 40 married women inside the plant, who reportedly raised no concerns about discrimination.
The Reuters investigation revealed that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from assembly jobs at its main Indian iPhone plant, citing family responsibilities, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as reasons. It also found that Foxconn relaxed this practice during high-production periods.
The report has sparked widespread debate on TV channels, newspaper editorials, and even among women’s groups. All of them have called for a thorough investigation.
In response to the investigation, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022 and claimed to have addressed the issues.
