By Sudarshan Varadhan
CHENNAI (Reuters) – Apple Inc supplier Foxconn is unlikely to reopen its shuttered iPhone manufacturing facility in southern India until January 7, a senior government official familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The Foxconn plant, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, was closed on Dec. 18, following protests over 250 of its workers being treated for food poisoning. Apple has since placed the factory on probation after discovering that some dormitories and dining rooms did not meet required standards.
The company, officially known as Hon Hai Precision, had told the Tamil Nadu state government it was working to address Apple’s concerns over workers’ living conditions, the official said.
“Foxconn is still working with Apple to ensure compliance, which they expect to take up to two days. Bringing back workers could also more than a day,” the official said, adding that the state government had cleared restarting the plant for production.
Foxconn and Apple officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Officials at two staffing agencies contracted by Foxconn to hire workers said the company had not communicated to them when production at the factory will resume.
Two workers at the factory said neither Foxconn, nor the staffing contractors had communicated the date of reopening.
The government official declined to be named as talks between the government and Foxconn were private. The staffing agency officials and workers declined to be named as they are not authorized to talk to the media.
(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
