SRIPERUMBUDUR, Tamil Nadu (CU)_Foxconn Technology Group, operating a manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur, on the outskirts of Chennai, is one the major Apple suppliers in the country. The plant makes the iPhone 12 and is currently testing the production of the iPhone 13 as well. Last month, the facility was shut down after a food poisoning incident, which affected 156 female workers. Since then the plant has been placed on probation by Apple.
Now the company is set to reopen the factory on Wednesday, after assuring the Tamil Nadu government and its main client Apple that necessary corrective measures have been taken at its hostels to ensure the incident does not repeat, The Economic Times reported. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said that around 400 workers, together with 2,000 technical staff will return to work on 12 January, as the plant in the state of Tamil Nadu resumes operations.
In a recent statement, Foxconn said it has been working to improve the conditions at the plant. “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 employee,” the statement read. “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.”
Meanwhile, in a statement published on Monday, Apple reaffirmed that “corrective actions” have been implemented at the site, although a spokesperson for the company revealed that the plant remains on probation, which means it is not receiving new orders from the tech firm at the moment. “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,” the spokesperson said. “Workers will start to return gradually as soon as we are certain our standards are being met in every dormitory and dining area.”
