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.”