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

The factory is owned by the Taiwanese company Foxconn, which makes the iPhone and other devices from the American technology company Apple. Foxconn factory workers poured out of their dormitories in the early hours of Wednesday and clashed with security guards. One witness, who requested anonymity for fear of repercussions, said the protest was sparked by non-payment of wages and fears of the spread of the coronavirus.

Several workers were injured and 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 at the factory site, was hit by an outbreak of coronavirus in October. There were relatively few cases at that time, but the plant management immediately took drastic measures. Some people have had to be quarantined in sleeping quarters and the company has tried to make up for gaps in the schedule by having other employees work more or longer shifts. Many employees didn’t like it and decided to do it in droves to escape from the factory.

a look. Packed and packed in bags, workers flee on foot from the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou

However, Foxconn and the local government appear to have taken control of the situation in recent weeks, allowing for higher wages to hire new employees and the promise of better working conditions. Wednesday morning’s protests suggest that is no longer the case. It also shows how China’s policy of not spreading the coronavirus, which relies on rapid lockdowns to stem the disease, is increasingly affecting the economy and disrupting parts of the global supply chain.

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