Union Labour Ministry on Wednesday announced that it has requested a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu Government’s Labour Department regarding the reported ban by Apple supplier Foxconn India on hiring married women at its main iPhone assembly plant in Tamil Nadu.
This came a day after several media reports surfaced that Foxconn India, a key manufacturer of Apple devices, had systematically excluded married women from job opportunities at its iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur.
“Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken note of various media reports claiming that married women are not being allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant. In light of these reports, the Ministry has requested a detailed report from the Labour Department of the Tamil Nadu government”, an official release said.
The Union Labour Ministry highlighted that Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination to be made while recruiting men and women workers.
“As the State government is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, hence the report has been sought from the State government”, the release added.
At the same time, the office of Regional Chief Labour Commissioner has also been directed to furnish the factual report to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, it said.
The latest revelations on Foxconn India’s hiring practices comes at a time when the Modi-led government has been going all out to attract more foreign direct investments into India and sustain India’s status as the fastest growing large economy in the world.
Foxconn’s restriction on hiring married women is not absolute. It may be based on the perception that married women could have higher absenteeism and face post-marriage issues such as pregnancy and childcare, a Reuters investigation report said.
