iPhone maker Wistron to restart operations at Karnataka plant, says Apple

Technology giant Apple on Tuesday said that third party iPhone manufacturer Wistron’s Narasapura plant near Bengaluru will reopen and the Taiwanese conglomerate has already begun the process of hiring team members and restarting their operations. Apple said everyone at the facility will undergo a new training programme to ensure they understand their rights and how they can raise any concerns.

Wistron will however remain on probation and Apple will monitor its progress closely, said the Cupertino-based company in a statement. “For the past eight weeks, teams across Apple, along with independent auditors, have been working with Wistron, which to make sure the necessary systems and processes are in place at their Narasapura facility,” it added. Wistron is one of the largest suppliers of iPhones in the world and manufactures iPhone 7 and the new iPhone SE models in India.

In early December last year, thousands of people, including employees, ransacked the Wistron campus in Kolar district of Karnataka on lapses in payments of wages. There were allegations of looting of several thousand iPhones, laptops and television sets from the premises during the incident. In total, the arson and violence had cost around Rs 50 crore to the company.

Wistron had later sacked its vice president Vincent Lee who oversaw the business in India as it admitted to lapses in payments at the facility. Apple had then said that it will not provide new business contracts to Wistron globally until the Taiwanese manufacturer completes all corrective actions at the facility.

According to Wistron, all employees have been fully paid and it has implemented new hiring and payroll systems to ensure everyone is paid correctly and provided the correct documentation going forward. “We are looking forward to restarting our operations and welcoming back team members and we thank them for their patience and support as we worked through corrective actions,” said David Shen, CEO, Wistron Smart Devices.

Apple said its employees and independent auditors will remain on site to validate that the new processes are effective.

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