A factory manufacturing Apple
Irate factory workers tore through the Bengaluru factory on Saturday after gathering to demand their unpaid wages and better work hour. The spectacle was caught by Indian news cameras, with scenes of workers tossing stones through windows, breaking furniture, and flipping cars being broadcast across the country. Police were eventually able to control the riot, arresting around 100 workers.
According to a worker speaking with the Times of India, workers had been promised specific wages, only for those wages to be reduced over time.
"While an engineering graduate was promised Rs 21,000 per month, his/her salary had reduced to Rs 16,000 and, subsequently, to Rs 12,000 in the recent months. Non-engineering graduates' monthly salary had reduced to Rs 8,000. The salary amount being credited to our accounts have been reducing and it was frustrating to see this," said the worker.
In the aftermath of the riot, both Apple and Indian Authorities are investigating workers claims. According to Apple, a team has been dispatched to India to address the situation. The company said in a statement: "Apple is dedicated to ensuring everyone in our supply chain is treated with dignity and respect."
While the claims of the workers are still undergoing investigation, the root cause of the riot can be traced to the new economic policy of the Indian Government. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has attempted to reinvent its image, hoping to be seen as an ideal place for industrial interests to lure international corporations away from China. Economic deregulation has been the tool of choice for the government in making India more attractive for major companies. The factory riot was preempted by protests by farmers against new agricultural policies.
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/indian-iphone-factory-attacked-by-angry-workers-11607874815
- https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/12/worker-protests-at-indian-iphone-factory-causes-up-to-7-million-in-damages/
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-india-wistron/apple-supplier-wistron-puts-india-plant-damage-at-up-to-7-million-idUSKBN28P054
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/violence-breaks-out-at-wistron-corps-iphone-manufacturing-plant-near-bengaluru/articleshow/79691511.cms