Days after employees and Communist-affiliated trade unions vandalised the Apple’s contract manufacturer Wistron India’s plant in Kolar, Karnataka, fingers are being pointed towards China over its alleged involvement in creating trouble against firms that are shifting business out of the country.
In what seems to also be a threat to firms for leaving China to set up factories in countries like India, Qingqing Chen – a chief reporter of the Communist Party of China’s Global Times, on Sunday said that the destruction of Wistron’s plant in India was a potential risk for manufacturers who are moving their production lines out of China where they have the most stable labour market.
The propagandist of China’s Communist Party, subtly threatening the other partners of Apple Inc such as Foxconn, asked whether these companies now regret about moving their production facilities to India. Chen basically hinted that companies that move their production lines out if China may face such vandalism and loss to business. Chen’s tweet hinted at China’s role in causing such deliberate disturbances inside India to disturb the prevailing stability and investment climate in the country.
It is notable here that Wistron is a Taiwanese company, and China considers Taiwan a threat.
In recent months, several business conglomerates, tech-giants have been moving their production facilities from China to other countries like India, and Vietnam, after the fallout of coronavirus pandemic. Following the pandemic that led to disruption to the global trade, many major players in the industry decided to move their plants away from China to India. Telecom major Apple Inc also shifted many of its plants from China to India.
Communist trade union defend vandalism, claims non-payment of wages
On Saturday, thousands of employees of Apple’s contract manufacturer Wistron India vandalised and ransacked the office properties in Kolar. The escalation took place after the employees alleged that the Taiwan-based organisation had reduced their salaries and was making irregular payments.
The angry group of workers went on a rampage on Saturday, damaging factory property including vehicles of officials parked at the premises. The workers also shattered windowpanes, furniture, and CCTV cameras at the campus. The Wistron Corporation has said it suffered losses worth several crores in the incident.
However, a day after the attacks, the Communist party-affiliated trade unions defended the attacks and claimed that they were protesting against the non-payment of salaries. Krishna Siddhi, who is a member of the All India Trade Union Congress of the Communist Party of India, had said that this issue was regarding the extended shifts and the company was not paying salaries for the overtime.
MD Harigovind, the general secretary of the AITUC said, “The industrial violence in Wistron is a direct result of the brutal exploitation of workers and sweatshop-like conditions created by a company, manufacturing the most expensive phones.”
Later, contrary to the claims of Communist-affiliated trade unions, the Labour department of Karnataka asserted that the organisation has been regularly paying salaries to its employees and there was only a 4-day delay this month due to a software bug.
According to Labour Commissioner Akram Pasha, the data showed that the firm had been prompt in paying the dues to its employees, except for this month, where it had been delayed in transferring the remuneration by just 4 days due to some technical issues.