The reopening of a Foxconn iPhone plant in India that had been closed due to food poisoning incidents and a protest has been delayed, as the local government has ordered the company to improve poor worker living conditions.
The expected week-long closure of the plant will instead last at least 10 days. Once the plant re-opens, it will not be running at full strength. Only 1,000 of 17,000 assembly line workers are scheduled to work beginning Thursday.
Last week, protests erupted after more than 250 women who work at the plant and live in one of the hostels had to be treated for food poisoning. Some of the protestors were rounded up by the police but later released.
The incidents at the plant have spurred the local government to look into the hostels where Foxconn workers reside during their off-hours. A Monday report from Reuters says the state government has ordered Foxconn to investigate the living conditions at the plant.
Sources tell Reuters that specific concerns are said to include power backups at the hostel, food and water sanitation, and the lack of recreation options.
Another source told Reuters that Foxconn had “ramped up production too quickly.” The same source said that they would ensure that workers living conditions were upgraded before the plant was allowed to get back to full production speed.
The plant is currently producing the iPhone 11 and was previously used to assemble the iPhone XR and the original iPhone SE.