Wistron Resumes iPhone Production at Violence-Hit India Factory

Apple supplier Wistron has reportedly restarted operations at its iPhone manufacturing facility in India, where workers caused widespread damage late last year over claims of unpaid wages.

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In a machine translation from Chinese-language paper United Daily News:

Indian media reported that the local Minister of Industry, Jagadish Shettar, stated that Wistron had resumed production at the factory in accordance with relevant licensing conditions. In the future, relevant departments will pay attention to labor issues and do not hope that similar incidents will happen again.

In December 2020, disgruntled staff went on a rampage at the plant, upturning cars and destroying equipment and furniture.

Wistron initially claimed that the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions.

However, local media reported that many of the 2,000 employees were involved in the violence, with many claiming that they had not been fully paid for four months and were being forced to do extra shifts.

Following the unrest, Apple placed Wistron on probation while it conducted an audit, which found that the plant showed violations of its "Supplier Code of Conduct."

According to Apple, Wistron had failed to implement proper working hour management processes, which "led to payment delays for some workers in October and November."

The plant was set to hire up to 20,000 more workers to manufacture more iPhone SE devices, but the plan was put on ice and Apple said it would not award Wistron any new business until it addressed how its workers are treated.

According to today's report, Wistron's ‌iPhone‌ manufacturing team has cooperated with independent auditors and Wistron in the past three months to ensure that the plant has established the necessary systems required to resume production.

Apple said in February that workers at the plant would receive a new training program to ensure they understood their rights and how to raise questions. According to Wistron, all employees have now received full salaries and a new recruitment and salary system has been implemented to ensure that everyone gets the correct salary and provides the correct documentation.

The Apple probation has delayed the tech company's manufacturing push into India, where it has pledged to invest $1 billion dollars as it seeks to diversify its global supply chains.

Tags: India, Wistron

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Top Rated Comments

1258186 Avatar
49 months ago
Hopefully they will treat their employees better this time.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1258186 Avatar
49 months ago
Apple should build and operate their own factories. They could be a model employer providing decent wages, education and healthcare. That would make a real difference to many people’s lives in a poor country like India.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmeaustend Avatar
49 months ago

Quality assurance! Set up production in the cheapest country. Don't pay the workers. At Foxconn they tended to fall off the roof, but that's because they were underpaid. Here they don't get any rupees at all…

Much rice and curry but no money for wages.
In order to sell iPhones in India Apple MUST manufacture devices there. It's Indian law, nothing to do with cheap labor.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IIGS User Avatar
49 months ago

In American retail stores employees get shot by angry customers. Yes, your chances of being killed by a customer if you work in retail in the USA is higher than your chances of committing suicide at Foxconn at its worst times...
I call total BS on this statement. There are 9.8 MILLION people working in retail sales in the US (source USCB).

Among the top deadliest jobs in the US are Fishing hunting workers, Logging, Aircraft pilots, Roofers, Construction workers, Garbage men, and Farmers.

You're more likely to die falling off a roof or a deep sea crabbing boat than you are getting shot as a retail clerk.

Heck, retail doesn't even crack the top 25 of most dangerous jobs in the US. You're more likely to be hit by a car as a crossing guard than you are to be killed working at the Circle-K on a midnight shift.

The only job in the top 25 that involves non accidental death or injury is Police Officer at 22. The most common cause of death or injury there is by assault. And that is usually a non fatal assault. (Source US BLS).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
49 months ago

Quality assurance! Set up production in the cheapest country. Don't pay the workers. At Foxconn they tended to fall off the roof, but that's because they were underpaid. Here they don't get any rupees at all…

Much rice and curry but no money for wages.
In American retail stores employees get shot by angry customers. Yes, your chances of being killed by a customer if you work in retail in the USA is higher than your chances of committing suicide at Foxconn at its worst times, which was quite some time ago. So before you complain about problems in China, you should have the look at violence in your own country. And I haven't seen any reports of Foxconn management kneeling on the necks of employees until they die from asphyxiation.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
08380728 Avatar
49 months ago
”Wistron initially claimed that the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions.”

Sugar coated reporting.

More like Winstron (like most companies) initially LIED, until found out...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)