Foxconn confirms ‘violence’ at its iPhone factory

Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn on Wednesday confirmed “violence” at its iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, central China, the largest in the world. The group, which assembles electronics for many international brands, including Apple, also points out in a statement that workers had complained about wages and working conditions in the factory, but denied having taken on new recruits. with coronavirus positive staff.

Riot police on site

Protests by employees erupted on Wednesday at the huge industrial site dubbed “iPhone city”, which typically employs 200,000 people, most of whom live in dormitories. The factory has seen a spike in coronavirus cases in recent months, leading it to close in an attempt to contain the virus. Since then, the huge facility has operated in a “closed circuit” bubble.

Footage of the protests, verified by AFP, shows a crowd of workers marching down a street. Some face people in white full body suits and riot police. “Regarding any violence, the company (Foxconn) will continue to communicate with employees and the (Chinese) government to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” the Taiwanese tech giant said in a statement.

China tirelessly pursues a zero Covid health policy, which involves strict confinements, quarantines for those who test positive and almost daily PCR tests, arousing growing discontent among the population. At the Zhengzhou site, which has seen a spike in cases in recent months, hundreds of panicked workers fled on foot, some complaining of the chaos and disorganization there. To keep the plant afloat, Foxconn had offered large bonuses to the remaining employees and tried to recruit new workers.