Tamil Nadu to Foxconn: Take care of your employees

Some of Foxconn's hostels were lacking in basic amenities, including enough space for the employees to sleep at night

Proper washrooms, adequate drinking water, 50-square-feet space for every employee in hostels, and inverters to combat any disruption in power supply — these are suggestions given to the management of Taiwanese electronics firm Foxconn by the Tamil Nadu government as part of efforts to improve living conditions of its employees in its hostels.

The recommendations were made during a visit by a high-level team consisting of ministers and senior officials over the weekend to a couple of hostel facilities managed by Foxconn, which is a key supplier of Apple Inc.

Some of the hostels were lacking in basic amenities, including enough space for the employees to sleep at night, a member of the team told DH.

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“We saw six to nine people being housed in a small room and we told the management to ensure that a person gets 50 square feet (of) space in a room,” that person said.

Another member said basic rules to be followed while housing employees, especially women, in hostels were reiterated to Foxconn, which has “assured to implement them”.

The government urged Foxconn to ensure each employee had access to four litres of drinking water a day, adequate washrooms to avoid infections and inverter facilities. It also asked the company to ensure proper security arrangements and fencing of the premises that house women.

Tamil Nadu Labour Minister Ganesan C V told DH that the government planned to continue engaging with Foxconn to ensure the well-being of employees.

“We have given a set of suggestions to the Foxconn management, and they have assured us that they will be followed,” the minister said.

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