Apple Foxconn, a major supplier of iPhones, has made a major change in its recruitment process for iPhone assembly plants in India. Now agencies have been instructed not to mention parameters like age, gender, and marital status in job advertisements.
Besides, inclusion of the company’s name in advertisements has also been banned. This step was taken after a Reuters report, which revealed that married women were being denied jobs.
A large number of women work in the Foxconn plant located in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The recruitment work for the company is entrusted to third-party agencies, which shortlist the candidates and finally Foxconn selects them.
Discrimination exposed in recruitment process
According to the Reuters report, between January 2023 and May 2024, Foxconn’s Indian agencies issued such advertisements in which only unmarried women were considered eligible for jobs. This was against Apple and Foxconn’s policies, which prohibit any kind of discrimination.
Just days after the report surfaced, Foxconn instructed its agencies to change the content of the ads and follow the template set by the company. Now the advertisement will neither mention any specific gender, age, or marital status nor mention the name of Foxconn.
What changed in advertisements?
The new advertisements only list job-related benefits, such as air-conditioned workplace, free transport, hostel facilities and a salary of Rs 14,974 per month. Foxconn’s new templates ensure that there is no discrimination.
Government investigation and role of media
Following the report, the Indian government began investigating Foxconn’s recruitment practices. Labor officials inspected the plant and interrogated company officials. However, the results of this investigation have not been made public yet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi The government of India considers Foxconn’s presence in India important for the country’s economy. In August, Foxconn Chairman Young Liu praised the efficiency of married women during his visit to India and also met Prime Minister Modi.
Real change or cosmetic effort?
Experts believe that Foxconn is taking this step due to media pressure and to save Apple’s reputation. Dilip Cherian, co-founder of Perfect Relations, says it remains to be determined whether the change will actually impact women’s opportunities or is it just a show of fulfilling legal responsibilities.
These steps of Foxconn can be considered as a positive sign for improving employment conditions in India. Now it remains to be seen how effective these changes prove to be in creating new employment opportunities for women, especially married women.
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