By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Apple and its supplier Foxconn have succeeded in their lobby for a landmark liberalisation of labour laws in the southern Indian state of Karnataka which is targeted at boosting production.
They were among other companies lobbying for a looser labour policy earlier this month, the Financial Times reported.
The new legislation led to introduction of laws that now permits 12-hour shifts, as well as night-time work for women, the same way companies practice in China, the report said.
Apple has been shifting production away from China after the country’s strict COVID-related restrictions disrupted the manufacturing of new iPhones and other devices in the country, and also to avoid a big hit to its business from pressure between Beijing and Washington.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s electronics and IT minister, had last week said that Apple phones would be produced at a new 300-acre factory in Karnataka. Foxconn has not confirmed any factory plans.
The state, a centre for India’s tech industry, last week passed an amendment to its application of the factories act allowing for 12-hour shifts, up from the previous limit of nine hours.
It also eased rules on night-time work for women, who dominate electronics production lines in China,
The legislation caps maximum working hours at 48 per week, but also expands the number of allowable overtime hours to 145 over a three-month period, from a previous 75.
Chandrasekhar said Karnataka had amended its labour law after “a lot of inputs” from Indian industry lobby groups and foreign companies, including Foxconn and Apple. Foxconn and Apple both declined to comment.
“This is something we and the customer have been pursuing,” said a person close to Foxconn, referring to Apple. “It is an adjustment that’s crucial for building efficient manufacturing here at scale.”
