Apple Could Resume iPhone 13 Production at Foxconn India Plant From April

BY Anu Joy

Published 15 Mar 2022

Apple supplier Foxconn’s manufacturing plant in Chennai, India, was forced to shut down in December 2021 after employee protests. These protests brought to light the terrible working conditions and food poisoning incidents at the facility. New reports state that iPhone 13 production will resume from April.

iPhone 13 production at the Foxconn Chennai facility was initially supposed to commence from January. However, the reopening was put on hold owing to poor living conditions for the workers. To recall, more than 250 employees suffered from food poisoning at the facility, which sparked protests and shut down the plant. This spurred the state government into action, sending officials to inspect the workers’ hostels near the factory. Foxconn assured them that it would upgrade the employees’ living spaces before resuming production. Apple put the plant under probation until the situation improved. The report states:

Seven months after it was launched in India, Apple is expected to start manufacturing the iPhone 13 at the Foxconn plant in Sriperumbudur near Chennai from April, according to sources. The phones will be for both the domestic and export market.

This isn’t the first time an Apple facility in India faced the workers’ protests. Back in December 2020, nearly 2,000 staffers at a Wistron plant that manufactured iPhones started a riot, destroying property worth approximately $60 million. The protest was sparked by workers who weren’t given the full pay promised. State authorities found that the supplier had violated labor laws. As a result, Apple put Wistron on probation.

[Via Business Standard]