Multiple women who worked for an Apple assembly factory in India were forced to live with rats and eat decaying food in their work living quarters.
The women worked for Foxconn, a multinational electronics contract manufacturer. At their plant, which is located outside the city of Chennai, they put together iPhones for under $5 per day and lived in the factory’s dormitory. On Thursday, a Reuters investigation uncovered appalling conditions that the employees were living in, including 30 women sleeping on the floor in one room, rat infestations, toilets with no running water, and worm-infested food.
The employees were aged 18 to 22 and developed chest pain, skin allergies, and food poisoning due to the conditions. The dire situation came to a breaking point in mid-December when 159 workers were hospitalized for food poisoning. Workers began to walk out in protest of the unsafe work environment. The move forced Apple to place the Foxconn plant “on probation” until it can adhere to its strict standards.
Most of the women employed with the plant were recruited from farming villages. They pay a Foxconn contractor for housing and meals, which cuts down the $140 they are paid monthly.
This is the second time in recent years that Apple and their Foxconn partnership have been criticized for their treatment of overseas employees. In 2010, 14 Longhua, China Foxconn factory employees committed suicide out of desperation to escape the deplorable factory conditions.
