iPhone plant Wistron to resume operations in State soon

Bengaluru: Apple iPhone manufacturing plant run by Taiwanese manufacturer Wistron at Narasapura in Kolar district, is set to resume operations. The facility was shut in December last year in the wake of workers' unrest. It is learnt that Wistron is ready to resume operations as the State government has assured the firm that it is ready to extend all cooperation.

In a statement released by Wistron on Tuesday, it said "For the past eight weeks, teams across Apple, along with independent auditors, have been working with Wistron to make sure that necessary systems and processes are in place at their Narasapura facility. A comprehensive set of corrective actions has now been completed and Wistron has restructured their recruiting team and enhanced training and support for workers. As Wistron begins the process of hiring team members and restarting their operations, everyone at the facility will undergo a new training program to ensure they understand their rights and how they can raise any concerns. Apple employees and independent auditors will remain on site to validate that the new processes are effective."

The company sources confirm that Wistron will be delivering enhanced training programmes for all workers as management has put in place a new system for workers to get information and raise any concerns they may have, anonymously. "We are dedicated to ensuring that workers are protected and treated with dignity and respect. Wistron remains on probation and we will monitor their progress closely," the statement added.

Wistron was allegedly guilty of violating several labour laws leading to violence and subsequent removal of its Vice President (innovation business group) of Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing India, Vincent Lee as part of disciplinary action. The company has also set up a 24-hour grievance helpline as a corrective measure. As a fallout of the same, Apple had also demoted Wistron to probationary status for violating its 'Supplier Code of Conduct'.

According to reports, over 4,000 employees on contract went on a rampage over non-payment of their wages. The company had sacked its vice president overseeing its business in India, as it admitted that some workers were not paid correctly or on time, and offered an apology.

According to reliable sources, a large-scale rehiring after extensive background checks by police is now underway. As global iPhone demand is on the rise, all-out efforts are on to get the capacity back on track to fulfil the global demand, they said.

The plant is likely to scale up its capacity in four weeks after operations resume.

The company has invested about Rs 2,000 crore in the plant to roll out about 4 lakh iPhone 7 handsets per annum and second-generation iPhone SE devices.

Of nearly 10,000 workers, around 1,340 are permanent and 8,500 on contract, hired through six firms.

Following the violence, Apple placed Wistron on probation after finding fault with the company over payment delays in October and November.