BENGALURU: Taiwanese iPhone contract manufacturer Wistron has re-opened its facility at Narasapura in Kolar district, nearly three months after violent protests rocked the facility over delayed payments and longer work hours. On Wednesday, Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar visited the facility and met the workers, assuring them of speedy justice in case of any violations in the code of ethics. He told the employees that violence can affect the lives of thousands of employees and they should approach the authorities concerned if they have any issues.
“The factory was forced to shut down due to the incident. Also, thousands of workers were at a loss to understand the issue. If any issues arise in the coming days, you should inform your bosses first. If there was no solution, you can contact government officials,” he told the workers.
The minister appealed to the employees not to resort to violent protests, but to seek the government’s help to get issues resolved. “If there are any problems in future, bring it to the notice of the district authorities and the authorities concerned at the firm,” Shettar said. No issue can be solved by resorting to violent protests. Thousands of workers were affected after the factory was forced to shut down, he noted.“Ten years ago, people in Kolar were looking for work in Bengaluru. Now, industries are coming to Kolar district and employment opportunities are increasing locally. Such incidents should not affect positive developments,” he stressed.
‘Officials must visit industrial units to address issues’
Gaurav Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, said the officers should frequently visit industrial units and advise the management and staff on the facilities as well as resolve issues, if any. After the violent protests, the government had offered all assistance to the firm and the company too had taken corrective measures.The iPhone maker, after an internal investigation, had admitted to lapses and also sacked its India Vice-President Vincent Lee, who was overseeing the operations The company had estimated losses to the tune of Rs 41.2 crore due to the violence in December last year.
Apple said in a statement last month that when the Wistron facility starts its operations, the workers will undergo a training programme to understand their rights and raising concerns. It had earlier put Wistron on probation, stopping further business to the contract manufacturer for violating the company’s code of ethics.
Apple had sent independent auditors to investigate the incident in which thousands of workers staged violent protests at the Wistron facility alleging non-payment of dues. Earlier, the KarnatakaGovernment, in a communication to the Centre, had blamed Wistron for not paying workers, specially for the extended working hours, due to a faulty attendance software which showed discrepancies resulting in lesser salary payments. The letter, to the Union Labour Ministry, also pointed out that the employees were marked absent on some days when they attended work and that the payments were not made in time.