Production at the Apple iPhone manufacturing plant in Kolar district near Bengaluru run by Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron is set to begin soon for the first time after the facility was shut in December 2020 after incidents of violence. TNM had reported how on December 12 some workers at the facility took to vandalism after their repeated complaints about pending salaries and indiscriminate pay cuts were ignored.
Reuters quoted a company statement as saying, “We are looking forward to restarting our operations and welcoming back team members and we thank them for their patience and support as we worked through corrective actions.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Apple said, "For the past eight weeks, teams across Apple, along with independent auditors, have been working with Wistron to make sure the necessary systems and processes are in place at their Narasapura facility. A comprehensive set of corrective actions has now been completed and Wistron has restructured their recruiting team and enhanced training and support for workers. As Wistron begins the process of hiring team members and restarting their operations, everyone at the facility will undergo a new training program to ensure they understand their rights and how they can raise any concerns. Apple employees and independent auditors will remain on site to validate that the new processes are effective.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring that workers are protected and treated with dignity and respect. Wistron remains on probation and we will monitor their progress closely,” the statement added.
Subsequent scrutiny to the violence and its causes found Wistron guilty of violating several labour laws and saw its Vice President (innovation business group) Vincent Lee removed as a disciplinary action. The company had also set up a 24-hour grievance helpline as a corrective measure. As a fallout of the same, Apple had also demoted Wistron to probationary status for violating its ‘Supplier Code of Conduct’.