iPhone maker distances itself from ‘unauthorised’ agency discriminating against China’s Uygur and Tibetan ethnic minorities
- Li Zhong Human Resources near Foxconn’s factory in Zhengzhou said it did not accept applications from workers from China’s Uygur and Tibetan minorities
- Foxconn alerted local government officials to the ‘possible illicit activity’ near the world’s largest iPhone assembly plant in China’s Henan province
The world’s largest maker of iPhones has distanced itself from an “unauthorised” recruitment agency near its factory in Zhengzhou that was excluding ethnic minority jobseekers from applying for jobs.
Foxconn, which employs around million workers in China, was alerted by an earlier investigation by the South China Morning Post to a sign inside Li Zhong Human Resources near its largest factory in China that it did not accept applications from workers from China’s Uygur and Tibetan minorities.
China’s prohibits discrimination against ethnic minorities with regards to employment and Premier Li Keqiang said last week that China will seek to prevent discrimination based upon sex and identity, which is widely reported to occur.
“We immediately alerted local government officials to this possible illicit activity and an investigation into the recruitment agency in question is underway.”
Li Zhong Human Resources is one of many agencies near Foxconn’s vast 1.4 million square metre (15 million square feet) Zhengzhou factory, although it was the only one seen to be opening displaying the policy.
“We are working closely with relevant authorities to ensure that any illegal recruitment activity is addressed in a timely and thorough manner. Furthermore, we will continue to demand that recruitment efforts of our authorised suppliers comply with all relevant laws and regulations in all markets where we operate,” added Foxconn.
But in 2013, a labour rights watchdog said it found instances of ethnic discrimination at two Chinese factories of another Apple supplier, Pegatron, among other suspected labour misconduct.
We will continue to demand that recruitment efforts of our authorised suppliers comply with all relevant laws and regulations in all markets where we operate.
Apple’s code of conduct, established in 2004, explicitly forbids suppliers from discrimination against workers based on their ethnicity.
The group, China Labour Watch, accused the supplier of refusing to hire members of China’s Hui, Tibetan and Uygur minorities.
But Li Qiang, executive director and the founder of China Labor Watch, accused Apple of dragging its feet when it came to ending hiring discrimination against ethnic minorities.
“Apple doesn’t want trouble. It is implicitly allowing factories to not hire Uygurs and Tibetans,” Li told Inkstone.
Apple declined to comment on the allegations.
The Zhengzhou facility, one of Foxconn’s 45 factories scattered throughout China, began operations in 2010.
More than 100,000 migrant workers live and work inside the special trade zone, which accommodated around 300,000 workers at its height at the end of 2014.
