Footage of large-scale protests at the world's largest iPhone factory in the city Zhengzhou, China widely circulated on social media such as Weibo and Twitter, according to MacRumors.
Hundreds of Foxconn workers marched in protest, with some of the protesters being confronted by a row of riot police and people in hazmat suits.
Foxconn Employees Are Upset Over COVID Restrictions and Bonuses
Protest erupted at Foxconn because employees are upset over COVID restrictions and bonuses, according to Engadget. The news outlet also reports that food shortage might have triggered the protest.
There are videos that showed workers complaining about the food they had been provided. Meanwhile, other workers are complaining that they had not been paid bonuses as promised by the company.
According to The Guardian, there was one clip taken from a live stream showing dozens of workers at night. The employees are shouting "Defend our rights! Defend our rights!" as they confronted police officers.
Several instances of violence were also reported as videos showing hundreds of workers marching and confronting a manager circulated online.
Workers were beaten by police according to those live streaming the protests, BBC reports. In addition, videos of the protest also showed clashes between the workers and the riot police.
According to Foxconn, the company would work with staff and local government to prevent further violence in the iPhone factory.
BBC's report says the firm said in a statement that workers are doubting pay. The firm said they would fulfill the pay based on contracts.
However, during a live stream, one Foxconn worker said the firm changed the contract so that the workers could not get the subsidy they were promised. Moreover, the worker said the firm quarantined them but don't provide them with food.
One staff member said that the workers who are protesting wanted to get their subsidy and go home.
The worker said the employees will continue fighting if Foxconn will not address their needs.
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Workers Fled Foxconn Factory in Zhengzhou
The Foxconn plant at Zhengzhou is the world's largest iPhone factory. It is said to have some 200,000 workers.
Since late October, many workers have fled the plant as frustration mounts over the treatment of employees. The employees' escapes also circulated in social media.
Workers are also complaining about how COVID cases were being handled by the firm. Likewise, they said there were insufficient provisions for food.
In a move to keep up with production, Foxconn began a drive to convince workers to stay. They also recruit more staff, with promises of higher per-hour salaries and bonuses.
Due to the COVID situation in Zhengzhou, the factory decided to keep so-called closed-loop operations at the plant. It is a system wherein employees live and work on-site isolated from the outside world.
Foxconn is a Taiwanese firm. The company is Apple's main subcontractor. The Zhengzhou factory assembles more iPhones than anywhere else in the world.
However, the discontent of the workers has hit production. This prompted Apple to announce earlier this month that it expected lower shipments of the high-end iPhone 14 models.
Related Article: Apple iPhone Maker Foxconn Refutes a Claim From a Video Alleging Covid Deaths at China Factory; Investigation Concluded It's 'Maliciously Edited'
