Staffing firms Randstad, Quess Corp and Innovsource, which provide the bulk of third-party employees to Wistron, are helping out with investigations on the violence at the iPhone maker’s Kolar facility. The staffing firms said they are prepared for a deeper probe by Wistron and authorities to check if there were any payment delays that caused the violence. Yesterday it was reported that Apple Inc is investigating whether a Taiwan contractor, Wistron Corp, flouted supplier guidelines at an iPhone manufacturing facility in India, after some workers ransacked the plant in a protest over unpaid wages. Randstad, Quess Corp, Innovsource and Needs are major recruiters for the largest iPhone makers in India. Randstad told the Economic Times, “The matter is under investigation by competent authorities and we are not in a position to comment at this juncture.” Rahul Banerjee, vice president, corporate affairs, Quess Corp said, “The incident is unfortunate and we are extending all possible support to legal agencies conducting investigations, including providing them with documents. About 1,600 of our contract employees work with Wistron.”

On Saturday, some 7,000 people, including workers, vandalised the Taiwanese iPhone supplier’s plant in Kolar district, following an alleged dispute over wages paid by third-party contractors. According to some, the mass scale recruitments may have led to few lapses, including delay in payments.