China iPhone factory workers take the money and leave after protests

Employees are leaving a vast Foxconn iPhone factory in central China over working conditions and Covid restrictions, relieved to be taking pay-offs home after angry protests at the Taiwanese tech giant's plant.

The workers are leaving the plant in Zhengzhou in the wake of bloody clashes with police, in which more than a dozen protesters were hurt, furious about Foxconn's failure to deliver promised bonuses, employees told AFP.

"The contract suddenly changed and everyone was unhappy, in addition the previous incidents at Foxconn made everyone lose trust, so the protests happened," one female worker who wished to remain anonymous told AFP.

Foxconn has been desperate to keep operations ticking along at the factory, the world's biggest manufacturer of iPhones, after a handful of Covid cases forced it to lock down the facility.

Now the firm is offering payouts to those that leave, with employees taking to social media Thursday to show they had received bonuses of 10,000 yuan ($1,400) in return for terminating their contracts.

Several coaches are parked outside dormitories in the background of several videos, supposedly there to take staff home.

"Everyone's got their money and are about to leave," the female worker said.

"I'm pretty satisfied, workers who still want this or that should not be too greedy," she said.

Foxconn also appears keen to placate those who were beaten by police, with another worker telling AFP that injured colleagues received an additional 500 yuan on top of their leaving bonus.

Foxconn did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

However, screenshots of a company notice circulating online Thursday show that new employees who wished to leave would be offered 10,000 yuan to cover lost salary, quarantine and transport costs.

The notice said employees who registered to end their contracts would be paid 8,000 yuan and given another 2,000 yuan upon boarding buses arranged by the company back to their hometowns.

- Protesters beaten -

Footage of the protests shared with AFP and captured by a factory worker showed one person lying motionless on the ground next to a man in a blood-spattered jacket having his head bound in an effort to staunch a wound.

Another clip shows dozens of hazmat-clad personnel wielding batons and chasing employees, one of whom is knocked to the ground before appearing to be kicked in the head.

The worker who shared the videos and who was present at the protests estimated that around 20 people were wounded in the clashes, some of whom were taken to hospital. He requested anonymity to protect his safety.

He told AFP the confrontations broke out after new employees who signed an agreement with the factory to work at least 30 days in return for a one-time payment of 3,000 yuan ($420) suddenly saw the figure slashed to just 30 yuan.

Foxconn has blamed a "technical error" in its payment systems for the non-payment, and promised employees that all salaries would be paid in line with company policies.

The unrest now seems to have cooled down, one worker told AFP.

"The new recruits should have all left, now everything is normal," the worker said.

One video published Thursday on the short-video platform Kuaishou shows hundreds of workers waiting to leave the dormitory quarters carrying suitcases.

"Get money and return home," read the caption, punctuated with a smiley emoji.

China's 'iPhone city' tightens Covid rules after violent protests
Beijing (AFP) Nov 24, 2022 - China has ordered six million people into lockdown in a city where violent protests broke out at an iPhone factory over Covid isolation policies and working conditions.

Hundreds of workers took to the streets around the vast iPhone factory in Zhengzhou on Wednesday, confronting hazmat-clad personnel wielding batons in a rare display of public anger in China.

In the wake of the unrest, Zhengzhou authorities ordered mass testing and an effective lockdown for several districts in the central Chinese city starting Friday.

City centre residents cannot leave the area unless they have a negative Covid test and permission from local authorities, and are advised not to leave their homes "unless necessary".

The restrictions will affect more than six million people but do not cover the iPhone factory, where workers have already been under Covid restrictions for weeks.

One worker told AFP the protests had begun over a dispute over promised bonuses at the factory, run by Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn.

Many workers were also incensed by "chaotic" living conditions, said the worker, who wished to remain anonymous.

Foxconn on Thursday issued an apology, blaming a technical error in its payment systems for the salary issues and saying it "fully understands" the concerns of employees.

"The company will also try its best to actively solve the concerns and reasonable demands of employees," it said.

Apple told AFP it had representatives on the ground at the factory and was "reviewing the situation and working closely with Foxconn to ensure their employees' concerns are addressed".

- Zero-Covid fatigue -

The curbs in Zhengzhou are part of China's national zero-tolerance approach to Covid, which involves gruelling lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing.

However, nearly three years into the pandemic, Covid cases are now higher than they have ever been in China.

There were 31,444 domestic infections on Wednesday, the National Health Commission reported, the highest since the pandemic began.

The numbers are relatively small when compared with China's vast population of 1.4 billion or global caseloads at the height of the pandemic.

But under the zero-Covid policy, even small outbreaks can shut down entire cities and land the contacts of infected patients in strict quarantine.

The unrelenting zero-Covid push has given rise to fatigue and resentment among swathes of the population, sparking sporadic protests and hitting productivity in the world's second-largest economy.

The Foxconn protests have been among the highest-profile bouts of unrest.

Several cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing have tightened Covid restrictions as cases have climbed.

The capital now requires a negative PCR test result within 48 hours for those seeking to enter public places such as shopping malls, hotels and government buildings. Schools across the city have moved to online classes.

The southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou -- where nearly a third of the latest Covid cases were found -- has built thousands of temporary hospital rooms to accommodate patients.

China's Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, on an inspection visit to Chongqing, urged local authorities Thursday to "try their best to contain the COVID-19 outbreak" and return life back to normal "as quickly as possible," according to state media.

A series of new rules announced by the central government this month appeared to signal a shift away from zero-Covid, easing quarantine requirements for entering the country and simplifying a system for designating high-risk areas.

But China has yet to approve more effective mRNA vaccines for public use and only 85 percent of adults over 60 had received two doses of domestic vaccines by mid-August, according to health authorities.

Shijiazhuang, a city near Beijing that was seen as a pilot for testing reopening strategies, reversed most of its easing measures this week.

"The path to reopening may be slow, costly and bumpy," Ting Lu, chief China economist at Nomura, said in a note.

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Foxconn apologises after protests over pay and conditions at China iPhone factory
Taipei (AFP) Nov 24, 2022
Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn on Thursday apologised for a "technical error" in its payment systems after violent protests erupted over salaries and conditions at its vast iPhone factory in central China. Hundreds of workers marched in Zhengzhou - dubbed "iPhone City" as the world's biggest producer of the smartphone - with some clashing with riot police and personnel in hazmat suits. Footage shared with AFP and captured by a factory worker showed one person lying inert on the ground next to a ... read more