Dissatisfied with the way labour officials have looked into the reports of discriminatory hiring practices at Foxconn, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered a fresh probe.
Foxconn, which manufactures Apple iPhones, and operates a plant in Tamil Nadu, was accused of discriminating against married women while hiring for assembly-line jobs.
It all began when a 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. Not surprisingly, the report had sparked widespread debate on television channels, newspaper editorials, and even among women’s groups. A thorough investigation into the matter was sought. In 2022, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged lapses in hiring practices and claimed to have addressed the issues.
A five-member team from the Central government’s regional labour department inspected the Foxconn facility near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 1 July.
It was reported then that Foxconn asserted that its factory employed 41,281 people, including 33,360 women. Of these women, about 2,750, or about eight per cent were married.
The team had questioned company directors and human resources officials.
The inquiries followed directives from the government, which requested detailed reports on the issue from state officials and the office of the federal government’s Regional Chief Labour Commissioner. However, Foxconn did not provide a specific breakdown of staffing figures for iPhone assembly, where the alleged discrimination had actually occurred. Labour inspectors interviewed 40 married women inside the plant, who reportedly raised no concerns about discrimination.
Now, the NHRC has ordered that the findings of the probe be revisited, as it realised that the officials had not examined the recruitment records or documents of the plant. Therefore, the main issue of discrimination against married women was not really addressed. It has been pointed out by NHRC that just questioning existing employees wasn’t enough while investigating the hiring process at the plant, which allegedly discriminated against women on the basis of their marital status. The Equal Remuneration Act mandates that nobody should be discriminated against on the basis of gender or marital status in the hiring process.
A time period of four weeks has been given for reinvestigation.