There has been a confirmation of overnight “violence” at the Apple iPhone factory in Zhengzhou in central China.
Reportedly, hundreds of workers at Apple’s main iPhone-making plant, Foxconn in China clashed with security personnel.
Here Foxconn is a Taiwanese firm, is Apple’s main subcontractor and its Zhengzhou plant assembles more iPhones than anywhere else in the world.
How Did This Happen?
The videos spread online show hundreds of workers marching, with some confronted by people in hazmat suits and riot police.
According to the people who were livestreaming the protests, workers were beaten by police.
One of the Foxconn workers said during his live stream “They changed the contract so that we could not get the subsidy as they had promised. They quarantine us but don’t provide food,”.
Further adding, “If they do not address our needs, we will keep fighting.”
He claimed to have seen a man “severely injured” after a beating from police.
Theworkers were protesting because Foxconn had “changed the contract they promised,” said one employee who recently started working at the Zhengzhou plant.
According to him, some newly recruited workers feared getting Covid from staff who had been there during the earlier outbreak.
The staff member said, “Those workers who are protesting are wanting to get a subsidy and return home.”
Reportedly, there was a heavy police deployment to the plant on Wednesday morning, as shown in the live streamed videos where crowds of armed police present at the site.
Earlier, during late October, several workers fled the plant amid rising Covid cases and allegations of poor treatment of staff.
What About Foxconn?
Foxconn, the Taiwanese tech giant, vowed to “avoid similar incidents” in the future.
Further adding that it would work with staff and local government to prevent further violence.
According to Foxconn, workers had complained about pay and conditions at the plant, in a statement.
Adding, Some workers had doubts about pay but that the firm would fulfill pay based on contracts.
The company also informed about the “patently untrue” rumors that new recruits were being asked to share dormitories with workers who were Covid-positive.
Foxconn said, Dormitories were disinfected and checked by local officials before new people moved in.
The rising Covid cases saw the site locked down last month, prompting some workers to break out and go home.
Lateron, the tech firm recruited new workers with the promise of generous bonuses
Moving ahead, the tech giant had denied that it had housed new recruits with Covid-positive staff.
Basically the clash took place as tensions boiled over after almost a month under strict restrictions intended to stem a Covid outbreak.
This all started when workers at the Foxconn plant came out of dormitories, pushing guards, as per the videos widely shared on social media.
Not only that, these workers also surrounded an occupied police car and began rocking the vehicle while screaming incoherently.
Sources said that the protest started overnight over unpaid wages and fears of spreading infection.
During this demonstration, several workers were injured as anti-riot police arrived on the scene to restore order, the report said.
This rare instance of violence occurred as many among the vast workforce of more than 200,000 at the iPhone factory have been plunged into isolation and were forced to survive on frugal meals.
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