Apple sends teams to iPhone factory in India after hundreds protest over conditions
- Employees trashed the manufacturing facility near the city of Bangalore demanding better wages and working conditions
- Apple said it has dispatched teams to check if its Taiwanese contractor Wistron Corp flouted supplier guidelines
Thousands of contract workers gathered on the grounds of the Wistron site on the outskirts of India’s tech hub of Bangalore on Saturday demanding unpaid wages and better working hours.
As police arrived, the crowd turned violent and video from the scene showed people armed with rods and sticks smashing equipment and vandalising cars, causing what the company estimated at US$60 million in damage.
The incident hurts the ‘Make in India’ label. Such events are small scars left on India as a manufacturing facility
“We have teams on the ground and have immediately launched a detailed investigation at Wistron’s Narasapura facility,” Apple said in an email, adding it was dedicated to ensuring everyone in its supply chain was treated with dignity and respect.
Apple said it was sending staff and auditors to the site and was cooperating with police in their investigation.
Wistron, one of Apple’s top global suppliers, said in a regulatory filing in Taiwan it “always abides by the law, and fully supports and is cooperating with relevant authorities”.
“The incident hurts the ‘Make in India’ label,” said independent brand consultant Harish Bijoor, referring to the government promotion campaign slogan. “Such events are small scars left on India as a manufacturing facility.”
A minister for the state of Karnataka, where the factory is located, said the government was talking to all parties and that the labour department was investigating any underpayment of wages and non-clearance of other dues.
MILLIONS IN DAMAGES
Videos taken by employees in the Wistron factory showed men, many wearing masks because of the coronavirus pandemic, destroying security cameras, windows and other equipment.
The crowd smashed four cars, two golf carts, stole laptops and smartphones and destroyed other office equipment, according to a police report filed by Wistron and reviewed by Reuters.
In the complaint, Wistron accused more than 5,000 contract workers and some 2,000 unknown people of destruction of property. It put the losses at 4.38 billion rupees (US$60 million).
Hundreds riot at Indian iPhone factory over exploitation claims
Police have arrested 149 people over the violence, a senior officer said, while a search was on to identify and arrest more perpetrators as the investigation continues.
Trade union leader M.D. Harigovind said the violence was a direct result of the “brutal exploitation of workers and sweatshop like conditions”.
Wistron, whose workers are not unionised, did not respond to questions seeking comment on the allegations, but said in a statement earlier it was “deeply shocked” by the violence it blamed on “unknown persons … with unclear intentions”.
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