Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government said Wednesday that it had asked the state of Tamil Nadu to give a “detailed report” after a Reuters story said that Apple supplier Foxconn turned down married women for jobs putting together iPhones in the country.
The Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 was used by the federal government’s Ministry of Labour and Employment to call for the investigation. The ministry said that the law “clearly stipulates that no discrimination (is) to be made while recruiting men and women workers.”
The ministry said it had asked the Labour Department of Tamil Nadu for a detailed report. Reuters found that Foxconn routinely turned down married women for jobs at a big iPhone factory in Tamil Nadu. The Labor Ministry also said that the office of the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner had been told to give a “factual report.”
Someone asked Apple (AAPL.O) and Foxconn (2317.TW) to comment on the government statement, but neither company responded right away. When Reuters asked the Tamil Nadu state government for a comment outside of business hours, they did not reply right away.
Foxconn has consistently denied married women jobs at its main iPhone plant in India, which is located near Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, according to a report released by Reuters on Tuesday. The company says this is because married women have more family duties than single women.
Foxconn hiring agents and HR sources talked to by Reuters said that the company didn’t hire married women because of family chores, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism.
“The Ministry of Labour is aware of reports that married women are not allowed to work at the Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant,” the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, when asked by Reuters for its Tuesday story, Apple and Foxconn both admitted that they made mistakes with hiring in 2022 and said they had worked to fix the problems. All of the unfair treatment that Reuters saw at the Sriperumbudur plant, on the other hand, happened in 2023 and 2024. The events in 2023 and 2024 were not dealt with by either company.
“When concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022, we immediately took action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure that our high standards are upheld,” Apple said. The company also said that all of its suppliers, including Foxconn, hire married women.
Foxconn says it “vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form.”
Lawyers told Reuters Indian law doesn’t stop businesses from hiring people differently because they are married. However, Apple and Foxconn’s hiring rules don’t allow for this kind of hiring in their supply chains.
