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Staff allegedly protested over wage problems at Wistron iPhone in India
Staff at the iPhone manufacturing plant in India allegedly shattered windows and set fire to vehicles to protest wage cuts, the Times of India reported. The incidents started on Saturday at a facility owned by Taiwan's Wistron Corporation manufacturing group, where the iPhone SE is being manufactured.
According to The Indian Express, after a shift change, employees who said they saw their salaries cut destroyed offices, some chairs, and factory machinery before things exploded outside. A local official informed the Express that the police had been investigating the incident. Around 2,000 workers took part in the protest.
Karnataka: #Violence at iPhone production plant run by Taiwan-based #Wistron Corp at Narasapura (in Kolar district) near #Bengaluru.
— TOI Bengaluru (@TOIBengaluru) December 12, 2020
Employees allege they have not been paid properly. pic.twitter.com/GKbeFeyRKc
Apple started to manufacture iPhones in India in 2017, where it is the top destination for premium smartphones. However it has just around 1 percent of the overall smartphone market in the region, as the iPhone price tag keeps it out of reach for many Indian consumers. India was the second-largest mobile market in the world in 2019, ahead of the US and second only to China.
Wistron opened the plant near Bengaluru earlier this year, part of a multi-million dollar investment by the company in India.
Apple and Wistron did not respond immediately to requests for comments on Sunday.
Photo by MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images
