Bengaluru: Disgruntled employees on Saturday ransacked the Narsapura iPhone manufacturing plant, run by Taiwan based Wistron corporation. As per media reports, the employees were unhappy over delayed salaries.
According to Times of India, “a majority of the nearly 2,000 employees, who were exiting the facility after completing their night-shift, went on a rampage destroying the company’s furniture, assembly units and even attempted to set fire to vehicles.”
Employees allege they have not been paid properly.
“The employees demanded the payment pending for a few months and met the Human Resources Department officials on Saturday. After this, a few employees attacked the office and damaged the office premises and furniture,” Kolar SP Karthik Reddy told the Indian Express.
Wistron is one of Apple’s top global suppliers and has been making iPhones in India for nearly four years.
“Apple is dedicated to ensuring everyone in our supply chain is treated with dignity and respect. We have teams on the ground and immediately launched a detailed investigation at Wistron’s Narasapura facility in India,” Apple told NDTV.
“We have technical evidence, CCTV footage, photographs, and evidence from other staff members…If there is a problem, they (workers) should approach the labour wing or the HR department. Violence is wrong,” Seemant Kumar Singh, Central Range Inspector General, told NDTV after visiting the plant.
The state government condemned the act and called for thorough investigation.
“It is unfortunate that Wistron manufacturing plant was violently attacked by agitating workers near Kolar. At a time when many companies are shifting base from China to India, such attacks give a bad name for the State. I request CM B S Yediyurappa to order a probe into this incident,” BJP national general secretary C T Ravi said in a tweet.
Congress MLA and former Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge said that the government seems to be clueless about law and order. “Investments and job creating opportunities are dropping due to Corona and in these trying times, Govt needs to get its act together in protecting labour and industries interests. Govt seems to be clueless about law and order,” he wrote on Twitter.