Written by Praveen Paramasivam, Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra
BENGALURU (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government said on Wednesday it had asked Tamil Nadu state to submit a “detailed report” after a Reuters story revealed that Apple supplier Foxconn had refused to hire married women for iPhone assembly jobs in India. nation.
In a statement calling for the investigation, the federal government’s Department of Labor and Employment cited the Equal Pay Act of 1976, saying the law “clearly provides for non-discrimination in the employment of men and women workers.”
The ministry said it had requested a detailed report from the labor department in Tamil Nadu state, the site of a large iPhone factory where Reuters exposed Foxconn’s practice of keeping married women out of jobs. The Labor Department said it had also directed the Office of the Chief Regional Labor Commissioner to submit a “factual report.”
Apple and Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the government’s statement. The Tamil Nadu state government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside business hours.
A Reuters investigation published on Tuesday found that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main iPhone factory in India near Chennai in Tamil Nadu state, on the grounds that they had more family responsibilities than their single counterparts.
Foxconn recruitment agents and human resources sources interviewed by Reuters cited family duties, pregnancy and high absenteeism rates as reasons Foxconn does not hire married women at the plant.
The Ministry of Labor “took note of media reports about married women not being allowed to work at Foxconn India’s Apple iPhone factory,” the statement said.
Earlier, in response to Reuters’ questions regarding its report issued on Tuesday, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged the existence of gaps in hiring practices in 2022, and said they worked to address these problems. But all of the discriminatory practices documented by Reuters at the Sriperumbudur plant occurred in 2023 and 2024. The two companies did not address the 2023 and 2024 incidents.
“When concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022, we immediately took action and worked with our suppliers to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure we maintain our high standards,” Apple said, adding that all of its suppliers, including Foxconn, are hiring. Married women.
Foxconn said it “strongly refutes allegations of discrimination in employment based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form.”
Lawyers told Reuters that Indian law does not prevent companies from discriminating in hiring based on marital status. However, Apple and Foxconn’s policies prohibit such employment practices in their supply chains.
(For the full story on Reuters.com, please click https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/foxconn-apple-india-women/)