Foxconn Hires Ex-Staff Of Nokia Chennai Plant For Andhra Pradesh Unit: Report

Chennai: Electronics equipment maker Foxconn India has re-employed over 2,000 workers of its two closed plants near here for its assembling unit at Sri City Special Economic Zone in Andhra Pradesh.

The company has also hired most of around 3,000 staff at Nokia's facility at Sriperumbudur where production was suspended last year after a long drawn tax dispute.

Foxconn was a major supplier to Nokia's plant and its two facilities run into rough weather after suspension of production at the Finnish company's facility.

It has now set up a new manufacturing unit at Sri City Special Economic Zone located at Tada about 110 km from here which assembles smartphones for Chinese firm Xiaomi.

An official of Foxconn India said that the company has re-employed almost all workers of its two plants at Sriperumbudur. Also, most of the workers who took voluntary retirement at Nokia's facility have been recruited by it.

"Actually, we have taken "hundreds of them" to our factory. They are now employed in our factory at Sri City SEZ," the official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The official, however, refused to reveal the number of workers that have been hired.

"Most of the employees who were working in Nokia factory were in the age group of 20 years to 35 years. They have received training (at Nokia plant)," the official added.

The Chennai plant of Nokia was kept out of the $7.2-billion deal signed by the company with Microsoft for selling its mobile handset unit in 2014 due to a tax dispute.

Fearing job losses, several employees had observed a hunger strike in Chennai in 2014. However, the company offered them voluntary retirement service.