Foxconn, the manufacturer of Apple iPhones, has reportedly informed the government that 25% of its new hires are married women. The company also stated that its safety protocol, which mandates that all employees refrain from wearing metal regardless of gender or religion, is not discriminatory.
Also Read: Apple Supplier Foxconn’s Hiring Practices Exclude Married Indian Women At Tamil Nadu Plant: Report
In an informal note shared with the government following reports that it is not hiring married women, Foxconn clarified that such stipulations are not part of its policy. According to sources cited by news agency PTI, the company suggested that these claims may have been made by individuals who were not hired.
In response to media reports alleging that married women are being barred from working at Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur iPhone assembly plant, the Ministry of Labour and Employment requested a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu government’s labour department on Wednesday, June 26.
What Foxconn Said?
“Foxconn has clarified that 25 per cent of the latest hires are married women. This would mean nearly one-third of the total women are married. This ratio compares favourably to any factory in this sector currently operating in India,” PTI quoted one of the sources as saying.
They added that such media reports malign the fast-growing Indian manufacturing sector.
The Foxconn factory currently has about 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men and the Tamil Nadu plant is the largest factory for women employment in the country with the total employment having touched 45,000 workers during peak periods, they said.
The company has also informed that the discussion around Hindu married women being discriminated against for wearing metals (ornaments and jewellery) is “entirely slanted” and wearing metal in such factories is a safety issue, a fact well recognised by both the industry and the government.
“Any person wearing metals – man or woman – regardless of their status (single or married) and their religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc.) are required to remove metals while working in the factory,” the source said quoting the company’s informal note.
For safety reasons, no one wearing metal is allowed to work on the shop floor and this is a prevalent practice in several industries.
According to sources, the company has stated that the media report is based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers. These comments likely came from candidates who did not get the job or no longer work at Foxconn.
Government Took Notice Of The Issue
“Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination shall be made while recruiting men and women workers. As the state government is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, the report has been sought from the state government,” the Ministry of Labour & Employment had said in a statement.
Additionally, the office of the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner has been directed to provide a factual report to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, according to the statement.
When It Started?
A Reuters investigation report published on June 25 revealed that Foxconn discriminates against married women by rejecting their job applications, because of their “greater family responsibilities compared to unmarried counterparts” as the reason.
The report revealed that the smartphone manufacturer systematically excluded married women from job opportunities at its main iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. The world’s largest contract electronics maker justified this by claiming that married women have “more issues post-marriage.”
As per the report, this was confirmed by numerous former and current employees from over a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies across India, many of whom spoke to the news agency on the condition of anonymity.
Agents and Foxconn HR sources cited family duties, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as reasons for not hiring married women at the plant. Additionally, many noted that the jewellery worn by married Hindu women could interfere with production.
