Riots in largest iPhone factory in the world: “Foxconn never treats people like people” | Abroad

The factory is owned by the Taiwanese Foxconn, which makes the iPhone and other devices from the American tech company Apple. Foxconn factory workers poured out of dormitories in the early hours of Wednesday and clashed with security guards. The protest erupted over unpaid wages and fears of the spread of the coronavirus, said one witness, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions.

Several workers were injured and anti-riot police arrived to restore order. A Foxconn representative declined to comment on the incident to Bloomberg.

The factory in Zhengzhou, which employs 200,000 people who also live on the factory site, was hit by a corona outbreak in October. There were relatively few cases at the time, but the management of the factory immediately took strict measures. Some people had to quarantine in the sleeping quarters and the company tried to compensate for the gaps in the schedule by having other employees work more or longer shifts. Many employees did not like this and decided to flee the factory in large numbers.

LOOK. Packed and bagged, workers flee on foot from the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou

However, Foxconn and the local government seemed to have gotten the situation under control in recent weeks, allowing higher wages to hire new staff and promising better working conditions. Wednesday morning’s protests suggest that is no longer the case. It also shows how China’s zero-Covid policy, which relies on rapid lockdowns to eradicate the disease, is increasingly weighing on the economy and disrupting parts of the global supply chain.

Foxconn Technology Group is the largest private sector employer in China, employing more than one million people across the country in approximately thirty factories and research institutes.