After a gap of more than three weeks following protests regarding food poisoning, the Foxconn iPhone manufacturing unit at Sipcot Industrial Park in Sriperumbudur is set to restart this week with both Apple Inc and Foxconn on Monday coming out with statements that 'corrective actions' are taken and 'rigorous' monitoring system is in place to ensure that such incidents will not be repeated are taken before the restart.
According to sources, around 70 workers have returned to one of the 17 dormitories, that met the international standards lined up by Apple. The plant will restart operations in a phase-wise manner and the remaining workers will join once the other dormitories are ready. Though Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin said that the plant will restart operations on January 12, sources said it may well be a slow process and is likely to happen within this week.
"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," said an Apple statement. He added that the facility will remain on probation and it will 'continue to monitor the conditions very closely.
The plant was put on 'probation' by Apple after around 159 people got hospitalized due to food poisoning in one of its hostels. “We have been working on a series of improvements to fix issues we found at the offsite dormitory facilities at Sriperumbudur and to enhance the services we provide to our 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," a Foxconn statement said. Foxconn had already announced a change in its local leadership following the incident.
"We will gradually begin to welcome back team members as each offsite dormitory becomes ready and is approved. We continue to support our employees and thank them for their patience as we work through the improvements,” it added. For more than three weeks, a team of officials of Foxconn were working to improve the facilities at each of these dormitories, which was followed by several rounds of inspection by an Apple-assigned auditor to ensure that its global standards are met.
As per Apple global standards, not more than eight individuals are allowed in one dormitory sleeping room, with not less than 3 square meter of living space per occupant. In addition, not less than one toilet and shower facilities are also required for every 15 employees. Foxconn was under fire for allegedly keeping 25-30 workers in hostel rooms meant for around 10 people, in addition to poor dining facilities too.
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU