A significant concentration of electronics production in India is situated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The state’s hardware industry is estimated to have attracted a cumulative investment of USD 711 million in about eight years, and has created employment for over 10,000 workers in both the organized and unorganized sectors.
Cividep collaborated with Electronics Watch to conduct an assessment of compliance and risks in the region close to the state capital, Chennai. This is the area in which Nokia established its largest mobile phone manufacturing plant within a cluster of suppliers and contract manufacturers in a special economic zone (SEZ). Since 2014, when Nokia closed its operations and moved out of India following a tax dispute, the local landscape of electronics production has been reconfigured, but continues to attract further investment.
The risk assessment suggests a number of areas of concern in treatment of workers, both with respect to the Electronics Watch Code of Labour Standards as well as India’s national laws. Key among these are threats to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, lower than living wage compensation, and excessive working hours.
Access the full study below.
Workers’ rights in the Indian electronics industry: a regional risk assessment