Tech giant Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) supplier Foxconn Technology Group plans to reopen its manufacturing facility in southern India on Wednesday, January 12, in a phased manner.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin reportedly said in the assembly on Friday that the plant would reopen on January 12 with 500 workers.
According to reports, Foxconn will start bringing back its employees gradually to the Sriperumbudur factory in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as hostels and dormitories get ready and certified as per local requirements by the government and Apple’s audits.
“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,” Foxconn said in a statement.
The factory, which makes iPhones, was shut down on December 18 after workers’ protested on the back of a mass-food poisoning incident at an offsite dormitory facility.
More than 250 women, who work at Foxconn and live in the dormitory, fell ill due to food poisoning. According to Reuters, more than 150 women were hospitalized. The plant, located at the Sriperumbudur town near Chennai, employs about 17,000 people.
“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,” an Apple spokesperson said.
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