Police have cracked down on a protest by workers at the world’s largest iPhone factory in China. Apple phones may be late for Christmas.
• Read also: ‘Take the money and go’: the offer to disgruntled workers after violent protests in ‘iPhone City’
• Read also: China: Start of containment around iPhone city
• Read also: Protest in China at the world’s largest iPhone factory
The iPhone you want to buy for Christmas may have cost a Chinese worker a beating.
photo by AFP
The Chinese police, all dressed in protective suits against the risk of contamination by pathogens, did not do their utmost during a recent demonstration by the workers of the giant Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. They dispersed the demonstrators by beating them generously with batons and iron bars.
Several videos circulated on social media Thursday showing around 100 workers clashing with law enforcement, some wearing white hazmat suits. The latter kicked and hit the demonstrators with batons and metal bars. Some workers are said to have thrown bottles and barriers at the officers.
“Technical” error.
Workers at the Foxconn factory (an Apple contractor) in Zhengzhou are complaining that Foxconn has changed the wage terms that were initially offered to attract them. They also claimed that Foxconn forced them to share dormitories with colleagues who tested positive for COVID-19.
To maintain iPhone production ahead of the holidays despite the increase in COVID-19 cases, the company had to confine the site, in conditions decried as “chaotic” by employees who were numerous to leave the factory. Foxconn also had to quickly hire tens of thousands of employees.
According to AFP, the protests erupted when new recruits, who had signed a contract to receive 3,000 yuan (C$560) in bonuses, suddenly saw that amount drop to 30 yuan. Foxconn assured Thursday that it was just a “technical glitch” in its payment system, promising it would be fixed.
Foxconn sorry
Foxconn apologized on Thursday and said it would compensate workers beaten by police during the protests. The company also bought peace by offering several employees bonuses of 10,000 yuan (1,340 euros) in exchange for the end of their contracts and their immediate departure from the site, according to AFP.
photo by AFP
The Chinese police, all dressed in protective suits against the risk of contamination by pathogens, did not do their utmost during a recent demonstration by the workers of the giant Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. They dispersed the demonstrators by beating them generously with batons and iron bars.
It’s not the first time the main subcontractor has been blamed for its poor working conditions. We will remember that in 2010 a wave of suicides in the group’s factories made headlines.
Negative image
Could these events lead consumers to boycott Apple?
According to Michelle Blanc, it is the Chinese government, rather than Apple, that is currently suffering from an image problem.
“It is the government that is seen as causing the problem. He is the one who is cracking down on his population right now, including those who work in factories. »
What is iPhone City?
Zhengzhou, a huge industrial city in eastern China, also has a more informal name: iPhone City. According to Wall Street JournalIn this city of six million people in an impoverished region of China, the local government paid $1.5 billion to Foxconn, Apple’s main iPhone supplier, in 2017.
The money is being used, in part, to improve local infrastructure, reduce Foxconn’s export costs and build housing for the plant’s approximately 200,000 employees.
A shortage of iPhones at Christmas?
Difficulties at the Zhengzhou plant may make it difficult to ship devices to different countries for the holiday season. Apple has already warned that it will ship fewer devices overseas in the coming weeks. According to Global News, delays have already been reported for the new iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
“The fundamental question you need to ask yourself is: do you need to change your iPhone? Michael White
Michelle Blanc is an e-commerce expert. And according to her, it’s better to put up with your old phone than to chase the new one.
“Apple has had supply issues for a while due to COVID, like every other company, for that matter. I needed a power cord myself and it took me three months to get it! ”, she says. Almost everyone’s supply chain is affected.
Who is Foxconn?
The maker of iPhones and other gadgets is a giant in the electronics industry.
Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is the world’s largest electronics supplier, with factories throughout mainland China. It is best known for manufacturing iPhones and other Apple devices, but its long list of clients includes Sony Corp., Dell Inc., and BlackBerry Ltd.
In 2021, the company’s annual revenue reached 5.99 trillion New Taiwan Dollars (US$175 billion), and the company ranked No. 20 in the 2022 Fortune Global 500.
Sources: Chicago Tribune and Wikipedia
