Indian Government Investigates Foxconn’s Alleged Discrimination Against Married Women

 The Indian government has launched an investigation into a report suggesting that Foxconn, a company that assembles products for Apple, has been discriminating against women of childbearing age in Tamil Nadu, denying them jobs in assembling iPhones. This action was precipitated by a recent Reuters investigation that exposed the company’s discrimination in hiring workers at its facility in southern India near Chennai. 

 On Wednesday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment disclosed that it is sending a letter to Tamil Nadu’s Labour Department seeking a “detailed report.” Quoting from the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, the ministry pointed out that, according to the law, discriminating against men and women in employment is prohibited. 

 The federal ministry has also made it obligatory for the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner to file a “factual report” on the matter. Apple and Foxconn have not commented on the government’s announcement yet, but requests for comment were sent to each company since this article was written. Likewise, the state government of Tamil Nadu has not issued a response other than working hours. 

 Reuters reported on Tuesday that an investigation showed that Foxconn, the leading iPhone manufacturer in India, discriminated against married women in employment opportunities. Employment agents and human resource sources claimed that they didn’t hire married women due to legitimate reasons, such as family obligations, pregnancy, and likely frequent absences. 

 In the circumstances, the Ministry of Labor released admitted to media articles concerning excluding married women from employment at the Foxconn plant. Previous replies to similar queries from Reuters stated that both Apple and Foxconn had violated the policies in the hiring processes in 2022.

 Still, actions have been implemented to resolve these issues. However, Reuters received forbidden practices based on discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin; all of them happened in 2023 and 2024, but the companies did not mention them in the statements. 

 Apple declared that he had reacted at once when the problems with the employment practices were reported in 2022, and employment with the company’s supplier had collected monthly tests. Back in 2009, Apple demanded that all of its suppliers found in Acer, Ad(trace), ASUS, Compal, Foxconn, QQ, Wistron, etc., hire married women. Unlike this, Foxconn has been quick to deny any form of employment discrimination, whether based on marital status, gender, religion or any other factor. 

 As legal advisors have decoded it, Indian law does not expressly ban discrimination against people in employment based on their marital status. However, Apple’s and Foxconn’s internal policies bar discrimination in their supply chains and will kick out such companies. 

 This investigation and the subsequent government inquiry reveal worldwide prejudice in supply chain systems. The provided example of the Indian government’s reaction to this issue highlights the necessity of following antitrust legislation concerning employment activities on the national and international levels. 

 The result of this investigation might shape Foxconn and other firms in India in the future by requiring more responsive legal actions regarding the companies’ practices of hiring and employing the younger Indian workforce. It also raises questions about the competence of corporate audits and the accountability of multinational companies to guarantee the proper employment practices in their supply systems. 

 The Indian government’s inquiry into Foxconn’s alleged discrimination against married female workers is a landmark decision in tackling employment discriminative practices. During this inquiry, it will be imperative to observe the behaviour of the government and the stakeholders about labour laws and standards protection. The findings might lead to modifying the patterns of employment relations not only within Foxconn but also within the whole industry, contributing to improving the employment relations for all workers.