Apple puts Wistron on probation for lapses that led to violence at Kolar plant

Team Udayavani, Dec 19, 2020, 3:44 PM IST

Kolar: Days after contract employees of Wistron Corp went on rampage over salary issues, Apple in a statement on Saturday said that it would not give any new business to the Taiwanese firm until it took corrective actions.

As per the preliminary finding of an audit conducted by Apple, throught its employees and independent auditors, Wistron had violated the company’s Supplier Code of Conduct by failing to implement proper working hour management processes. This led to payment delays for some workers in October and November.

“We have placed Wistron on probation and they will not receive any new business from Apple before they complete corrective actions. Apple employees, along with independent auditors, will monitor their progress. Our main objective is to make sure all the workers are treated with dignity and respect, and fully compensated promptly,” reads a statement from Apple.

“We are very disappointed and taking immediate steps to address these issues. Wistron has taken disciplinary action and is restructuring their recruitment and payroll teams in Narasapura. They have also set up an employee assistance program and a 24-hour grievance hotline in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English to ensure all workers at the facility can voice any concerns, anonymously,” the statement further read.

Earlier today, Wistron said that it has initiated disciplinary action against its senior executives for allegedly failing to take corrective measures to resolve the issues faced by the employee.

“Since the unfortunate events at our Narasapura facility we have been investigating and have found that some workers were not paid correctly, or on time. We deeply regret this and apologize to all of our workers,” Wistron said in its statement.