Trade Unions Investigate Foxconn's Hiring Practices Amid Allegations

Employee unions at the Apple iPhone manufacturing unit of Foxconn India here said they are engaged in collection of details of recruitment exercise, after media reports emerged that married women were not hired by the Taiwan-based firm. According to employee trade union sources, they would decide on the next course of action after studying the staff recruitment process.

"We are collecting the details right now. We will study the matter first, like, recruitment exercise and then decide our next action plan," a union source told PTI.

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has sought a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu labour department after reports suggested that Foxconn was not hiring married women at the sprawling facility near here.

An official of a manpower agency in Sriperumbudur said Foxconn India outsources employees through agencies and claimed that he did not come across any such incident of married women not getting preferred for recruitment.

"We are recruiting candidates for them (for Foxconn). We have not come across such allegations. We have selected both men and women irrespective of their marital status. If they are above 18 years and meet the eligibility criteria, we consider their application. In the past, we have selected both married men and women" he told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Incidentally, in 2021, hundreds of women staged protests on the busy Chennai-Bengaluru highway as their colleagues, about 250 of them, fell sick after consuming food provided by the company.

According to the company website, Bharat FIH, a Foxconn Technology Group company has facilities in Sriperumbudur, one at Sri City, Tada and a research and development unit in Bengaluru and Chennai, respectively.

The company has an employee base of 25,000 people of which 85% comprise women.

"By introducing women to various shop floor operations, we have been successful in creating new economic opportunities in the region with our presence. Our aim is to work towards a world in which a diverse and inclusive manufacturing sector offers equitable opportunities and rewarding careers for all," the website said.

An email seeking details on the matter did not elicit immediate response from Foxconn.