250 women were poisoned in an iPhone factory
The giant American group, "Apple", announced Wednesday that it has put an Indian factory belonging to its main provider in a trial phase, after a series of food poisoning cases and demonstrations condemning the working conditions at the site.
About 250 women working at an iPhone manufacturing site belonging to the giant Taiwanese group Foxconn in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu fell ill with food poisoning in December, requiring 159 hospitalization.
This resulted in demonstrations denouncing the living conditions in the residences of the factory in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, which has been closed since December 18.
The giant American group said it had put the plant in a trial phase, noting that it was working with the supplier company to adopt a quick "chain of corrective measures".
It employs more than 17,000 people, and manufactures iPhones for the Indian market and for export, in addition to accessories.
Foxconn, a contractor with Apple, said it was "really sorry for the problem our employees are facing," stressing that it was taking "immediate measures to improve the situation of facilities and services" in its dormitories.
The Taiwanese group pointed out that employees will continue to receive their salaries until these improvements are completed.
Apple has long faced criticism over the way it deals with employees working in the factories of its contracting companies in China, especially after a wave of suicides of workers at the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen in 2010.
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