Gender discrimination

• No gender discrimination in Taiwan
• India has a different way of working
• Semiconductor mkt in India growing fast

New Delhi: Amid the controversy surrounding Foxconn’s hiring practices, Taiwanese trade promotion organisation TAITRA on Monday said that there could be some cultural issues, but all foreign companies including Taiwanese firms operating in India need to adapt to the country’s business environment. This comment has come against the backdrop of media reports claiming that Taiwan-headquartered Foxconn, a contract manufacturer of Apple iPhones, is allegedly discriminating against married women by not hiring them to work at its unit in Tamil Nadu.

Rejecting the reports, Foxconn last month purportedly 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. Refusing to be drawn into controversy regarding Foxconn’s hiring practices, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) Chairman James CF Huang emphasised that every Taiwanese company comes to India with good faith. He further asserted that Taiwan has persistent regulations in place ensuring the rights of employees irrespective of gender.

However, the TAITRA chief told that “there are certain things that we have to adjust and work closely with our partners and friends in India and for many Taiwanese companies, it is a different culture, a different way of doing business. “So there would always be some issues and I think it is not just for Taiwanese companies, but for every foreign company when they come to India they would have to adapt to the Indian business environment.”

The TAITRA chief emphasised that the Taiwanese industry is keen to contribute to India’s economic development and wants to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies of Make in India and Digital India. Huang said he is “not familiar with the Foxconn issue,” but added in the same breath that “in Taiwan we have very persistent laws and regulations in ensuring people’s rights for all employees of all gender. I don’t think it is an issue.”