Bengaluru/IBNS: The Centre Wednesday said it has asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit a "detailed report" after a Reuters story revealed that Apple supplier Foxconn does not hire married women for iPhone assembly jobs in the country.

In a statement calling for the probe, the Ministry of Labour and Employment cited the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, saying the law "clearly stipulates that no discrimination (is) to be made while recruiting men and women workers."

The ministry said it has requested a detailed report from the Labour Department of Tamil Nadu, the site of a major iPhone factory where Reuters uncovered Foxconn's policy of rejecting married women for jobs.

The Labour Ministry said it also directed the office of the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner to provide a "factual report."

Apple and Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the government statement. The Tamil Nadu state government also refrained from responding to Reuters' request for comment outside office hours.

A Reuters investigation published on Tuesday revealed that Foxconn has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone plant near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, citing that they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts.

Foxconn hiring agents and HR sources interviewed by Reuters cited family duties, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as reasons to explain why Foxconn did not hire married women at the plant.

The Ministry of Labour "takes note of media reports on married women not being allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant," the statement said.

Earlier, in response to questions from Reuters for its Tuesday report, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022 and said they had worked to address the issues.

All the discriminatory practices documented by Reuters at the Sriperumbudur plant, however, took place in 2023 and 2024. The two companies didn't address the 2023 and 2024 incidents.

Apple said that "when concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022 we immediately took action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure that our high standards are upheld," adding that all its suppliers, including Foxconn, hire married women, Reuters reported.