Married Women Denied Jobs At Foxconn's iPhone Factory In Chennai? Centre Steps In

The Centre on Wednesday sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government after a Reuters story claimed that Apple supplier Foxconn rejected married women from iPhone assembly jobs in the country.

"Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, clearly stipulates that no discrimination is to be made while recruiting men and women workers," The Ministry of Labour and Employment said in a statement. "As the state government is the appropriate authority, a report has been sought."

The union ministry has asked the the Tamil Nadu Labour Commissioner to provide a "factual report."

A Reuters investigation published on Tuesday revealed that Foxconn has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main iPhone plant located near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The exclusion is based on the belief that married women have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts.

According to interviews with Foxconn hiring agents and HR sources conducted by Reuters, reasons cited for not hiring married women at the plant include family responsibilities, pregnancy, and concerns about higher absenteeism.

The government "takes note of media reports on married women not being allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant," the statement added.

"For some Indian women, a job building iPhones is a ticket out of extreme poverty. The Foxconn positions offer food and accommodation and a monthly paycheck of about $200 (over rs 16,000), roughly in line with India's per capita GDP," said the Reuters report.

Both Foxconn and Apple have refuted the allegations. Foxconn, which has faced criticism for unethical labor practices in the past, saw hundreds of its employees in Tamil Nadu protesting in 2021 after nearly 250 women fell ill from food poisoning, resulting in over 100 hospitalizations.

If pursued, the investigation could pose legal challenges for both Apple and Foxconn, particularly in light of existing legal precedents in India. Moreover, both companies intend to expand their operations in India, viewing it as a viable alternative to China, with ambitions to increase production of AirPods and engage in chip manufacturing.