25 pc of new hires are married women; nearly 70 pc of workforce are women: Foxconn
New Delhi, June 27: Apple iPhone maker Foxconn has informed the government that 25 per cent of its new hires are married women and its safety protocol, which requires all employees to avoid wearing metal irrespective of gender or religion, is not discriminatory, sources said.
In an informal note shared with the government after reports suggested it is not hiring married women, Foxconn stated that such stipulations are not part of its policy and these claims may have been made by those individuals who were not hired, sources said.
They added that such media reports malign the fast-growing Indian manufacturing sector.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday sought a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu labour department on the issue of married women not being allowed to work at the Foxconn India Apple iPhone Plant, as reported by the media.
"Foxconn had clarified that 25 per cent of the latest hires are married women. This would mean nearly one-third of the total women are married. This ratio compares favourably to any factory in this sector currently operating in India," one of the sources said.
The Foxconn factory currently has about 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men and the Tamil Nadu plant is the largest factory for women employment in the country with the total employment having touched 45,000 workers during peak periods, they said.
The company has also informed that the discussion around Hindu married women being discriminated against for wearing metals (ornaments and jewellery) is "entirely slanted" and wearing metal in such factories is a safety issue, a fact well recognised by both the industry and the government.
"Any person wearing metals - man or woman - regardless of their status (single or married) and their religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc.) are required to remove metals while working in the factory," the source said quoting the company's informal note.
For safety reasons, no one wearing metal is allowed to work on the shop floor and this is a prevalent practice in several industries.
According to sources, the company has stated that the media report is based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers.
These comments likely came from candidates who did not get the job or no longer work at Foxconn.
When contacted on the issue, Foxconn said that they hire workers of all backgrounds, genders, races and marital status, and they do not discriminate in hiring or recruitment.
"We enhanced our management process for hiring agencies in India in 2022 and identified four agencies that were posting ads that did not meet our standards. We took corrective action with those agencies and more than 20 job ads were removed," Foxconn said in a statement.
It also refuted allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form.
"In our latest round of hiring almost 25 per cent of women are married. Married women are welcome to wear traditional metal ornaments while working in our facilities," it said.
It added that the company provides qualified job seekers equal treatment and it works with relevant local agencies to ensure that all recruitment efforts follow Foxconn's recruitment standards and guidelines, as well as local labour regulations.
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
