India iPhone Plant Reopens With Better Dorms After Women-Led Protest

In December, around 4,000 women took to the streets after over 250 workers, predominantly women, suffered food poisoning in the dormitories of the iPhone manufacturing facility, run by Apple's contractor Foxconn, outside Chennai.

Covid tests are currently underway for women workers returning to work in the Sriperumbudur-based iPhone manufacturing facility run by Apple supplier Foxconn outside Chennai, as the plant plans its partial reopening on Wednesday, three weeks after it was shutdown in the wake of major protests by its employees.

In December, around 4,000 women took to the streets after over 250 Foxconn workers, predominantly women, suffered food poisoning in the facility dormitories. Many were hospitalised.

At the protesting sites, they alleged that food at Foxconn's dormitories was stale.

Further, the toilets were considered unhygienic and inadequate, without running water. An investigation by NDTV reveals that many women avoided using toilets at these dormitories. They often waited till their shift began to use washrooms at their work place instead.