Timeline of events at Foxconn India

July 23, 2010: Around 200 workers are seriously affected by gas leak at Foxconn India plant in Nokia Special Economic Zone in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai India.

August 24, 2010: Foxconn India Thozhilalar Sangam (FITS) union, affiliated to Central India Trade Unions (CITU) sends letter with demands on wages and union recognition at the plant.

August 26, 2010: FITS sends the same letter sent to the Deputy Labour Commissioner.

September 2, 2010: The Deputy Labour Commissioner calls for talks.

September 6, 2010: FITS again writes to Foxconn India calling for talks on its demands.

September 8, 2010: FITS send the same letter sent to the Deputy Labour Commissioner.

September 21, 2010: Foxconn announces it is in negotiations with Foxconn India Thozhilalar Munnetra Sangam (FITMS), a union affiliated to LPF workers wing of ruling DMK party.

September 22, 2010: FITS members begin sit-in strike from 12am, a wage increase is the major demand, with around 1,500 workers participating in the strike. Workers prevent a shipment of parts to Nokia in China, despite Chinese workers being brought in to help with the shipment.

September 22, 2010: Foxconn India relents and agrees to talks on September 27. The Deputy Labour Commissioner advises Foxconn management not to engage in actions that would victimize workers and encourages workers and FITS to end sit-in and engage in tripartide talks. On this basis, FITS agrees to end the sit-in.

September 23, 2010: Foxconn management puts up a notice stating it has already entered a wage agreement with FITMS, so can not enter into wage talks with FITS. Management also announces it will deduct eight days wages from workers involved in sit-in

September 24, 2010: FITS and workers decide to recommence sit-in and prevent 6,000 contract workers from entering the shopfloor. On the same day 1,500 striking workers were arrested by Tamil Nadu police and kept under detention. Workers allege that during this process women workers were harassed and beaten by police. At 8pm on the same day, workers are released. On this day Foxconn also sent a letter of suspension to 23 employees, who are all union activists, stating "pending serious challenges leveled against you, you are placed under suspension".

September 25, 2010: FITS submits letter to DLC requesting it establishes which union has the support of the majority of the workers by conducting an election at Foxconn India

FITS met with management on three separate occasions at the DLC office (September 27, September 30 and October 1) but no resolution to the dispute is found.

October 6, 2010: Foxconn India declined to revoke the suspension of 23 union members, despite repeated advice from the DLC against this action.

October 6, 2010: Striking workers reoccupied the factory and conducted a sit-in.

October 7, 2010: Police arrested 250 of the workers and released them later in the day, another 400, half of whom are women, continue the sit-in and 500 resolve to stay at the gate until the suspension of the 23 workers is revoked and their demands are met.

October 8, 2010: The workers continue to stay at the Nokia gates.

October 9, 2010 evening: All striking workers are arrested including women workers. Around 319 workers including the trade union leaders are remanded into police custody and transferred to Vellore central jail. Remaining workers were let off and around 200 women workers were taken to a bus stop and asked to leave. When the women refused and demanded to be arrested also, they were abused and forced of the police vehicle.

October 13, 2010: The court grants bail to 307 workers. The remaining 12 workers and union leaders remain in jail, including A. Soundhirarajan, CITU State General Secretary and E. Muthu Kumar, CITU District Secretary, Kanchipuram and FITS President.Oct 18, 2010 – Anita Gardner