Workers at Foxconn’s Chennai plant arrested for labour law violations
26 Oct 2010
A number of workers at some Indian plants of Foxconn International Holdings Ltd have been arrested for breach of labour laws as they had struck work during a cooling-off period during pay negotiations.
The company is a key supplier to top cell phone makers including Motorola Inc and Sony Ericsson. The firm declined to give the number of employees that had been arrested, but according to a labour group as many 319 employees had been held.
"We have been in talks with the labour union and have come to an agreement, but some workers engaged in illegal activities and were thus arrested by the local police," Vincent Tong, Foxconn's senior director said.
Foxconn International and parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd count among the biggest private-sector employers in China.
The company's labour practices have been under scrutiny following more than 10 suicides at its south China plant.
Tong said, Foxconn's plant in India, near Chennai employed thousands of worker and were paid salaries exceeding market standards in the area. He however, declined to give a specific number to the salaries paid.