Violent protests for better wages and living conditions have been recorded as clashes between workers and security guards at the world’s largest iPhone factory owned by Taiwanese Foxconn in central China.
Videos posted on social media Weibo and Twitter show workers protesting in Zhengzhou in broad daylight, some clashing with riot police and people in protective suits.
Foxconn confirmed the disturbances on Wednesday (23).
In a recording made at night, dozens of workers clashed with the police, “Let’s defend our rights, defend our rights!” He seems to be shouting.
In another video, a man with blood on his face appears and someone off-camera says, “They shoot, they shoot. Do they have a conscience?”
Another voice speaks of “smoke grenades” and “pepper spray”.
AFP partially confirmed the authenticity of these videos, thanks to the geographic location on the factory site that showed distinctive features such as a building and barricades near worker dormitories.
In a video shot during the day, several fire engines surrounded by police in protective gear appear near residential blocks, and a voice can be heard from a loudspeaker: “All workers, please return to the barracks, do not engage with a small minority of illegal elements”.
A photo taken during the day shows the charred remains of a door that apparently burned at night.
The Weibo hashtag “Foxconn riots” appears to have been censored at noon on Wednesday, but some posts referring to these protests remained online.
Foxconn is China’s largest private employer, with one million people working in 30 factories and research institutes across the country.
Apple’s prime contractor has seen a surge in Covid-19 cases at its Zhengzhou factory in recent months and has decided to shut down the vast industrial complex to contain the virus.
Foxconn on Wednesday confirmed the “violent” actions at the protests at its Zhengzhou factory and promised to “avoid similar incidents” in the future.
The company claims in a note that workers complained about low wages and working conditions at the factory, but denied that the factory housed new workers with employees who tested positive for COVID-19.
Located in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province (centre), the factory is a huge industrial park nicknamed the “iPhone city” and employs approximately 200,000 people, most of whom live in dormitories.
As cases of Kovid began to be detected, the factory began to operate in a “closed loop” bubble.
This month, images circulated on social networks of frightened workers leaving the factory en masse on foot, complaining about the unstable conditions of the factory.
Numerous employees told AFP about the chaos and disorganization in the workshops and dormitories.
To compensate for the workers’ flight, the company offered bonuses and other incentives to the remaining employees, and the local government sent new workers to keep the factory running.
Apple admitted this month that the situation has “temporarily impacted” the production of an iPhone like no other, and the Taiwanese company’s crown jewel, the factory.
China is the last major economy in the world to maintain a zero covid policy through mass lockdowns, testing and lengthy quarantines.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.