There were riots at the world's largest iPhone factory in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Wednesday, according to a video shared on social media.
Although Foxconn plans to hire 100,000 more workers and Chinese authorities are calling on former military personnel to apply, workers have already fled the plant. Now, on Wednesday, an uprising broke out in which hundreds of workers reportedly complained about pay and working conditions. According to Reuters These rare scenes of public dissent in China were ultimately sparked by an alleged plan to delay bonus payments. Footage of the unrest is circulating online, although Reuters reports that most of it has been deleted from Chinese social media site Kuaishou. The various videos purport to show workers complaining about not getting meals during COVID lockdowns.
Violent clashes seen on video footage
They also say China and Foxconn's health measures for "closed production" - where workers live and work on site - are not working. Speaking to Reuters, Aiden Chau of China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based advocacy group, explains:
It is now obvious that Foxconn's closed production only helps prevent the spread of COVID in the city. It does nothing (or even makes things worse) for the workers in the factory.
In a statement to Reuters, Foxconn denied the claim that contracts were changed to prevent bonus payments, calling it "untrue." The Foxconn spokesman also added:
The company will continue to communicate with employees and the government to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
Apple itself has not yet commented on the riots. Nor is it the first uprising in a factory that exclusively or mainly produces Apple products. In May, workers at a factory in Shanghai that produces the MacBook Pro rioted because of the measures taken against the coronavirus. (Videos from Bloomberg & telegraph on Youtube) (Photo by Jonathan Weiss / Bigstockphoto)
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