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Written by Aashish Aryan
, Edited by Explained Desk | New Delhi |
December 14, 2020 9:18:30 pm
Violence broke out during a change of shifts at the plant over the non-payment of promised wages, local officials said (File)
Apple’s contract manufacturer Wistron India has seen an escalation in its disagreement with a section of its contract workers over alleged non-payment of salaries and dues. The violence took place at its Narasapura facility near Bengaluru.
What does the Wistron facility in India make for Apple?
Like the other contract manufacturers of Apple, Wistron is also involved in production of its flagship iPhones. The factory in Narasapura is the a new unit from where it had started assembly of the iPhone SE (2020).
The original iPhone SE was the first iPhone to be made in India and now there are four models being produced here, including the iPhone 11.
The plant is spread over 43 acres, and was built with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. This is a new unit, which was opened in July this year.
The other unit in Bengaluru is in the Peenya locality of the city’s outskirts, from where Wistron has been producing iPhone SE models since 2017.
The Narasapura unit employs about 2,000 regular employees and some contractual employees, while the old Peenya unit employs about 3,500 people. The flagship iPhones produced at the Narasapura and Peenya unit are also exported to other countries across the world.
Why did the violence happen?
The violence erupted on Saturday, when some of the contract workers over alleged non-payment of regular and overtime dues. The workers started throwing stones, and damaged some vehicles inside the factory. Some iPhones, which had been manufactured at the factory and were kept for export, were also looted by the workers, according to reports.
While Wistron, which runs the factory, said that it had followed all laws and was supporting the authorities in their investigation, Apple said it had “ immediately launched a detailed investigation at Wistron’s Narasapura facility in India”. The Wistron unit is likely to remain shut for a few days until the investigation in the violence is completed. 📣 Follow Express Explained on Telegram
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
