Indian officials visit Foxconn's iPhone plant and question executives on recruitment

Indian labor officials visited a Foxconn factory in the south of the country this week and questioned executives about the company's hiring practices, after it reported that the major Apple supplier has been turning away married women for jobs assembling iPhones.

Indian labor officials visited a Foxconn factory in the south of the country this week and questioned executives about the company's hiring practices, after it reported that the major Apple supplier has been turning away married women for jobs assembling iPhones.

A five-member team from the federal government's regional labor department visited the Foxconn factory near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, on July 1 and spoke with company managers and human resources officials, said A. Narasaiah, the regional labor commissioner, by phone Wednesday.

Foxconn (2317.TW) did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Apple (AAPL.O) did not address questions about the visit.

The consultations come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government asked state officials and the federal government's Regional Chief Labor Commissioner's office last week to provide detailed reports on the matter, following an investigation into hiring practices at the manufacturing facility.

"We are gathering information and have asked the company to submit documents such as company policies, hiring policies" as well as evidence of compliance with labor laws and information on maternity and retirement benefits, Narasaiah said. "They told us they are not discriminating."

Narasaiah said Foxconn reported to labor officials that the factory employs 41,281 people, including 33,360 women. Of these women, about 2,750, or about 8%, were married, according to Foxconn's report.

Foxconn did not break down staffing numbers in specific areas such as the assembly of iPhones, where it reported discrimination was occurring, Narasaiah said. He added that labor inspectors interviewed 40 married women within the plant, who did not raise concerns about discrimination.

Narasaiah said he currently has no plans to question Foxconn's third-party hiring agents, who source candidates and bring them to the plant for interviews.

An investigation published last week found that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from assembly jobs at its main iPhone plant in India on the grounds that they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts. Foxconn human resources sources and third-party hiring agents cited family responsibilities, pregnancy and higher absenteeism as reasons for not hiring married women.

The report also found that Taiwan-based Foxconn relaxes the practice of not hiring married women during peak production periods.

The story has sparked debates on TV channels, newspaper editorials and calls from opposition figures and women's groups, including within Modi's party, to investigate the matter.

In response to the investigation, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged failures in hiring practices in 2022 and said they had worked to address the problems. However, all of the documented discriminatory practices at the Tamil Nadu plant took place in 2023 and 2024. The companies did not address those cases.

Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, has previously said it "vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or otherwise."

Apple has said that all of its suppliers, including Foxconn, hire married women and "when concerns were raised about hiring practices in 2022, we took immediate action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure our high standards were maintained."

Indian law does not prohibit companies from discriminating in hiring on the basis of marital status, although Apple and Foxconn's policies prohibit such practices in their supply chains.

Collaboration: Grupo Auge | Reuters (International).