Apple and its manufacturing supplier Foxconn have been involved in lobbying for a landmark liberalization of labor laws in India, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing sources.
According to the report, the legislation authorized the introduction of 12-hour shifts in the southern state of Karnataka, as well as night-time work for women.
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Foxconn reportedly stated that the legal change is crucial to building efficient manufacturing at scale, and that the possibility of running production around the clock using two 12-hour shifts will be a big step forward for the company.
The Taiwanese tech giant has been shifting production away from China due to the country’s strict Covid-related restrictions, which has disrupted the manufacturing of new devices. The move has also been seen as an attempt to avoid problems due to growing tensions between Beijing and Washington.
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The Karnataka government announced a week earlier that Apple’s iPhones would soon be assembled in the state, specifying that a total of 300 acres have been set aside for a plant.