Apple and it supplier Foxconn lobbied India to relax its labor laws, and now unions are fighting back, according to Rest of World.
Recently, the Indian state of Karnataka tweaked a national labor law to extend factories’ work schedules from nine to 12 hours, and to allow women workers to do night shifts. Apple and reportedly lobbied for the changes. Labor rights groups have opposed them, and lodged a complaint with the International Labour Organization.
The Karnataka assembly on March 1 passed a labor law that permits 12-hour-shift production and allows women to work at night. The labor code change increased a worker’s legitimate working hours from nine to 12 for four consecutive days before taking three days off.
Allowable overtime hours were increased from 75 to 145 over a three-month period. In addition, the law allows women to work between 7 pm and 6 am, subject to certain safety measures.
