Foxconn's Tamil Nadu iPhone plant to reopen gradually from January 12

Operations at three plants inside the Foxconn campus in Sriperumbudur came to a halt on Dec 18 after workers protested over quality of food at hostels

After being shut since December 18 following protests by employees demanding quality food in hostels, Taiwanese electronics major Foxconn will resume operations at its unit that manufactures Apple iPhones from Wednesday in a gradual manner.

A top government official involved in talks with Foxconn and the legislator from Sriperumbudur, where the sprawling factory is located, told DH that the operations at iPhone plant will resume on January 12 with 500 employees at work. The number of employees will be increased gradually, they said.

However, Apple and its supplier Foxconn did not provide the exact date of resumption of production. While the factory employs around 15,000 persons, only 100 had returned to hostels by Monday.

“All the 500 employees will be back in hostels by Tuesday. The Foxconn plant that manufactures Apple iPhones will resume operations on Wednesday,” Selva Perunthagai, Sriperumbudur MLA, told DH.

The official quoted above said Kanchipuram district collector and officials from various departments, including labour welfare and health, are coordinating the efforts to reopen the factory and ensure that facilities made for employees at hostels meet the required standards.

“The Foxconn factory will now have a new management following a decision by the company which is headquartered in Taipei. The strength of the employees will be increased gradually as the hostels are cleared for occupation,” the official said. Another official said it might take “a couple of months” for the factory to resume full-fledged production.

The plant was shut on December 18 after hundreds of Foxconn employees blocked the Chennai- Bengaluru highway last week after 159 of their colleagues were admitted to various hospitals after they consumed food at hostels provided by the firm.

A spokesperson for Apple Inc. said Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility remains on probation and that “we will continue to monitor conditions very closely.”

"For the past several weeks teams from Apple, along with independent auditors, have been working with Foxconn to ensure a comprehensive set of corrective actions are implemented in the offsite accommodations and dining rooms at Sriperumbudur. Workers will start to return gradually as soon as we are certain our standards are being met in every dormitory and dining area,” a spokesperson for Apple Inc. said.

On its part, Foxconn said it has been working on a series of improvements to fix issues it found at the offsite dormitory facilities at Sriperumbudur and to enhance the services it provides to employees.

“We have implemented a range of corrective actions to ensure this cannot happen again and a rigorous monitoring system to ensure workers can raise any concerns they may have, including anonymously. We will gradually begin to welcome back team members as each offsite dormitory becomes ready and is approved,” a spokesperson for Foxconn said.

The statement added that Foxconn will continue to support its employees and thank them for their patience “as we work through the improvements.”

The State Industries Promotion Corporation (SIPCOT) is building an integrated hostel complex at a cost of Rs 570 crore in Vallam Vadagal industrial estate in the district. The complex which will come up at an area of 20 acres will have 8 blocks with 11 floors each that can accommodate 18,750 persons.

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