It’s a rare scene in the country. Foxconn’s manufacturing site in Zhengzhou, China, has been the scene of protests since the night of November 23. The workers, confined since the beginning of October after the discovery of a Covid-19 outbreak, marched around the factory to demand the right to better wages and better working conditions.
But numerous photos and videos posted on social media show clashes and violence during the demonstration, where protesters are seen facing riot forces and several lines of people dressed in white overalls. Foxconn officially confirmed in a press release that there was “violence” between employees and law enforcement.
Employees want to defend their rights
Foxconn employs some 200,000 people at the northeastern plant, most of whom are housed in dormitories. But in China, the drastic conditions of confinement are weighing more and more on the population. For the Foxconn site, dubbed “iPhone City,” this means not letting employees go home… while still working.
Then, at the end of October, some workers simply decided to flee the factory on foot, despite the fact that the company offered bonuses to workers who decided to stay. As of early November, a larger area is under lockdown as employees continue to denounce the chaos and lack of food at the factory.
According to some sources, several thousand newly hired employees also started the demonstration when they learned that they would be staying and working alongside employees who had been infected with Covid-19, a situation contrary to the one that had contractually affected them. Foxconn denied in its statement having housed these new workers with people who are positive for Covid-19.
Latest news from Foxconn’s iPhone City in Zhengzhou: New employees fight with security guards trying to get out of the factory. The reason: Foxconn tried to recruit some 100,000 new employees after former employees had been told not to mix with ex-employees who may have Covid. But they found out that in the end they were not going to separate them, and they felt cheated. The terms of their contracts were also different from what they were promised,” the journalist said.
“A Foxconn employee broadcast live footage of the protest at the Zhengzhou factory. He said that the employees came out of their dormitories this morning to demand compensation, and now they are facing anti-terrorism police,” this journalist shares.
An impact on iPhone production
The company also confirmed that it had received complaints from its employees about working conditions and low wages.
This complex, nicknamed iPhone City, is the largest iPhone provider in China and is owned by Taiwanese provider Foxconn. It assembles electronics for a host of international brands, including Apple.
Apple indicated in early November that the closure of the site, which had been operating in a closed loop since the start of the lockdown, had “temporarily affected” production and could have an impact on year-end sales, a crucial period for Apple, Californian company.
Source: BFM TV
