This week, officials from the Indian labor department visited the Foxconn factory in the south and inquired with the executives about the company's hiring policies. It is reported that Reuters previously revealed that this major Apple supplier refused to hire married women when recruiting iPhone assembly workers.
A five-member team from the federal government's regional labor department visited the Foxconn factory near Chennai in Tamil Nadu on July 1, and interacted with the company's directors and HR officials, regional labor commissioner A. Narasaiah told Reuters in a phone conversation on Wednesday.
Foxconn did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Apple did not respond to Reuters' inquiries regarding the visit.
The investigation followed a request from the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, asking state officials and the federal district chief labor commissioner's office for detailed reports. This request was based on Reuters' findings regarding the hiring practices at the factory.
"We are gathering information and have requested the company to submit documents including company policies, hiring policies, proof of compliance with labor laws, and information on maternity leave and retirement benefits," Narasaiah said. "They told us that they do not practice discrimination."
Narasaiah stated that data submitted by Foxconn to labor department officials showed that the factory employed 41,281 workers, including 33,360 women. Among these female employees, approximately 2,750, or about 8%, are married.
