Married women not allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant? Labour Ministry seeks report from TN government

In congnizance of the reports claiming that Foxconn, a major manufacturer of Apple devices, rejected married women to provide jobs at its India iPhone plant, the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday, June 26 said that it has taken note of many media reports suggesting that married women are not permitted to work at Foxconn India's Apple iPhone facility. In light of these accusations, the Ministry has demanded a thorough report from Tamil Nadu's Labour Department.

"Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 stipulates that no discrimination 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 ministry said in a PIB release.

"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, Government of India," it stated.

Why did Foxconn not include married women?

The decision was apparently based on the fact that married women have greater family obligations than unmarried women, according to media reports.

However, Apple denied reports of such discrimination at Foxconn factories.

"When concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022, we immediately took action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure that our high standards are upheld," Apple said in a statement.

"All of our suppliers in India hire married women, including Foxconn," it added.

Meanwhile, Foxconn issued a statement saying it "vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion, or any other form."

Furthermore, Foxconn stated that in its most recent round of recruiting, about 25 per cent of the women hired were married, but did not identify how many or where they worked.