An Indian state changed its labor laws to support iPhone manufacturing

[Alfonso Maruccia]

What just happened? India wants to become the next big manufacturing hub of the world and provide companies like Apple the perfect environment to move the bulk of their production from China. So much so, that local administrations are promoting a significant liberalization of their labor laws.

The Indian state of Karnataka is trying to become the new base for iPhone manufacturing outside China, easing its labor laws to embrace the specific needs of Apple and Foxconn. According to three unnamed people familiar with the matter, Cupertino and the Taiwanese giant were the main drivers behind the labor law liberalization which was passed in Karnataka last month.

The new legislation allows manufacturing companies to have two 12-hour shifts, a consolidated practice in China but a first for India where the previous shift limit was nine hours. The new law also removes some limitations on night-time work for women, who have a dominant presence in production lines located in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

According to the amended labor laws, workers in Karnataka can now have a maximum of 48 working hours per week, and allowable overtime went up from 75 to 145 hours over a three-month period. An unnamed official from Karnataka said the local administration was provided "a lot of inputs" from Indian industry lobby groups and foreign companies, even though both Apple and Foxconn have declined to comment.

A source "close" to Foxconn said the new adjustments to India's labor laws are "crucial" for building efficient manufacturing at scale. Foxconn can no longer ignore India's ambitions to become the new manufacturing hub for the largest companies in the world, and being able to run daily production with two 12-hour shifts is seemingly a big step to bring the Indian job market "closer to where we need to be."

The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to turn India's service-heavy economy into a manufacturing powerhouse, just in time for his country to become the most populous nation in the world. Karnataka is located in the southwestern region of India, providing the fifth-largest economy in gross domestic production (GDP) and per capita GDP.

Both New Delhi and local states are providing incentives to Foxconn and other major corporations to host their new manufacturing plants. Foxconn is currently assembling new iPhones in Tamil Nadu state, and the company has already expressed interest in expanding its manufacturing operations in the neighboring states of Karnataka and Telangana. No actual details have been defined for the expansion yet, even though India's IT minister (Rajeev Chandrasekhar) recently said that Apple would produce its iPhones at a new 300-acre factory in Karnataka.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97912-indian-state-changed-labor-laws-support-iphone-manufacturing.html

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Disappointing in a way. Great, workers can make more OT, but now can be exploited by the same people that had to put suicidal nets in their Chinese factories.

 

[dangh]

They willingly put themselves into slavery, instead of actually value their citizens. Very sad to see companies like Apple to encouraging this approach, while in US they are all for work-life balance. Ah, surprises no one.

 

[VitalyT]

Apple - pioneering industrial country-wide slavery. India - hold on to your shackles!

 

[Kam7r]

So slavery is politically incorrect in the US, but totally ok elsewhere if this bring more profit to the US's companies... why I am absolutely not surprised here ....

 

[scavengerspc]

So slavery is politically incorrect in the US, but totally ok elsewhere if this bring more profit to the US's companies... why I am absolutely not surprised here ....

Then do your part. Trash all your tech. Don't support something you claim to dislike.

I'm am no fan of slave like policy. But so long as my Country doesn't do it Im in favor of capitalizing on it when we can. I say this because I believe India would be a 1000% improvement over China.

 

[toooooot]

Does Apple quality really require 12 hour shift? I just dont get it. If a woman works, let say 9 hours a day, will her work produce so much lower quality Iphones?
It is really interesting. The only guess I have is that they dont pay that much. And only way to earn decent money is that 12 shift.
Makes you less excited about tech toys, I mean by the effort that went into creating each one.

 

[Lounds]

No wonder workers in foxconn were killing themselves. This sounds awful. Who wants to work that much for pittance. This is exploitation of the poor/working class on a massive level.

 

[RedGuard]

Glad my last phone was bought in 2020 and I don't plan getting another one anytime soon. Also, I never bought an Apple product.

 

[3volv3d]

Then do your part. Trash all your tech. Don't support something you claim to dislike.

I'm am no fan of slave like policy. But so long as my Country doesn't do it Im in favor of capitalizing on it when we can. I say this because I believe India would be a 1000% improvement over China.

Indian, middle eastern, China, all these countries, are the worst places to do this stuff.
Its not just the people, its the environment, the damage they will cause to make your throw away crap.
At least you'll have 5g and the bestest looking photos of the end of the world.

So slavery is politically incorrect in the US, but totally ok elsewhere if this bring more profit to the US's companies... why I am absolutely not surprised here ....

If you're not a millionaire exec, or able to work the hours you want and dictate your pay, basically a s*** talking charlatan like Shapiro ,then you probably are slave to the system.

Most people are slaves, we just don't get whipped much these days. You have to pay extra for that.

 

[scavengerspc]

Indian, middle eastern, China, all these countries, are the worst places to do this stuff.

Agreed, except for the Middle East in general. Who would even think of putting a business there?

Its not just the people, its the environment, the damage they will cause to make your throw away crap.

Again. I agree. And again, I know of some places where you can give all your tech away so you can make your stand. I think that is very brave and a good example. (NOT being sarcastic).

At least you'll have 5g and the bestest looking photos of the end of the world.

Why would I need either at the end of the world?

 

[Feng Lengshun]

Ah, yes, "in order to make people's life better, we need to make their lives worse first. Pay no attention over the fact that it's a net negative in the long term, it's all for a better future for us."