Employment Practices at Apple; Social and Legal Issues Disrupting India's Industrial Relations Landscape

Apple started its Indian journey by setting up the Narasapura plant near Bangalore, Karnataka, where the iPhone SE was manufactured. Wistron Corporation, the contract manufacturer for Apple in India, has sustained losses due to violence by a section of workers at its manufacturing plant over employment conditions and terms of employment. Wistron could not cope with the rapid scaling up of workforce and production targets and blatantly violated various labour laws. Wistron has suggested investing over Rs. Two thousand nine hundred crores in India to boost efforts for local iPhone manufacturers and made in India products. By end of 2022, the iPhone 12 is projected to be released. This case illustrates how improper practices at the Wistron-Apple Factory have impacted make-in India plans. This case also depicts the lack of statutory compliance, blatant use of contract labour and the labour department's failure to ensure strict compliance of labour laws by MNCs. The incidents also revealed the inability of Trade Unions to enforce restrictive trade practices and ensure decent working conditions and minimum wages in compliance with all labour laws. The riot by workers as an extreme step indicates the workforce's growing anger for being deprived of a decent wage and living conditions. Working conditions, wages, lack of collective bargaining framework, corrupt labour officials over looking blatant human rights violations and compliance of statutes is a fit example of how MNC’s are able to escape the statutory framework and focus on profits at the cost of labour. The failing support infrastructure in the form of NGOs and other work groups protecting the interest of labour is seen in this case. MNCs are seemingly taking cover over the pandemic induced pain and steam rolling various employment matters that will have a long-lasting socio-economic impact. The study was undertaken over 3 months involving field visits, interviews with all stake holders and visiting villages and farms from where the labour was sourced. The story is grim and the government at the centre will have to act decisively to avoid blatant violations similar to the Wistron- Apple episode. While this case does depict the historical labour matters and the legacy Apple carries. The choice is with the customer to reject such practices by avoiding purchase of such products manufactured from sweat shops. This case has been depicted as witnessed, from hard facts from the field and collaborating with other evidence