- Locals will get employment
- But nothing close to IT jobs
- Salaries are not huge
- Don’t expect miracles to happen overnight
- Don’t rush to buy properties
- Company known for exploiting labour force
- Chennai workers faced hardships in 2021
- Government should discuss every aspect with Foxconn
(King Johnson Koyyada)
There is a sudden discussion that Foxconn company is being established in Kongarakalan and would provide one lakh jobs, which would propel the demand for the realty sector soon. But what part of this discussion is true? What are the characteristics of this organisation? When did it start? Is it venturing into India for the first time with Telangana or did it already set up industries in other States? If so, what are the actual conditions there? Will the arrival of Foxconn bring real boost for realty sector?
Founded in 1974 in New Taipei city of Taiwan, Foxconn company also known as Hon Hail Precision Industry ,currently employs more than 13 lakh people. The company is one of the largest technology production companies in the world, supplying electronic devices pertaining companies based in countries like the US, Canada, China and Japan. This company manufactures phones of reputed brands like iPhone, iPod, Sony, Google Pixel, Xiaomi, and Blackberry among others. Foxconn has 137 campuses and offices in 24 countries and regions around the world. The majority of Foxconn’s factories are located in East Asia, with others in Brazil, Europe and Mexico. Interestingly, this company has been operating in our country since 2015.
Accusations against Foxconn!
Foxconn has turned its industrial units into labour camps with widespread labour abuse and illegal overtime, according to a joint report submitted by 20 universities in mainland China. There were reports that the security guards were caught while roughening up the factory workers at the factory. There are also allegations of irrational working hours on this company.
What happened in Chennai?
Before Telangana, Foxconn had set up a factory at Sri Perambudur in Chennai. On December 15, 2021, 256 workers contracted diarrhea after eating food provided by the company. Of this, 159 workers were hospitalised. But the company did not divulge any information in this regard. Reports about death of two workers was also circulated on the social media. Due to this, on December 17, the workers held a sit-in protest in the dormitories where they reside. At 10 pm on the same day, hundreds of female workers staged a protest on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway. As a result, the police arrested 67 women protesters. Later, the Tamil Nadu government reviewed the condition of the workers. On December 22, the Food Safety department seized the dormitory’s kitchen citing presence of rats and poor drainage facility. It found that the rooms provided to the workers were overcrowded, they were made to sleep on the floor and some did not even have toilets with running water. However, after Apple Inc assured the Tamil Nadu government in January 2022 that necessary corrective measures had been taken, Foxconn reopened its factory. Now that the company will enter Telangana, every aspect should be thoroughly discussed and precautions should be taken to avoid any trouble to the employees in future. Working hours and habitable areas of the workers should be developed after careful discussion with the representatives of the company.
