violent protests

Workers at the largest iPhone factory worldwide, located in Zhengzhou, central China, engaged in violent altercations early on Wednesday.

Police authorities in China have beaten up workers who were demonstrating over wages and working conditions at the largest iPhone factory, as the number of Covid-19 cases in the nation reached a new daily high.

Videos posted online showed hordes of policemen in white protective clothing and plastic riot shields facing thousands of protestors wearing masks. After a demonstrator retrieved a metal pole that was used to assault him, police struck him with clubs and kicked him. In other films, demonstrators could be seen shooting fire extinguishers at police.

In response to concerns about unsafe working conditions, thousands of employees at Foxconn, the largest contract manufacturer of cellphones and other electronics, left the facility in Zhengzhou last month, making it difficult for the company to fulfill orders for the iPhone 14.

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According to an employee named Li Sanshan, demonstrations started on Tuesday when workers who had traveled great distances to accept a position at the factory claimed that the company altered the conditions of their compensation.

Foxconn apologized and said that the confusion over compensation was caused by a “technical error”. In an extraordinary move meant to placate dissatisfied new hires who were instrumental in the violent protests that shook the largest iPhone plant in the world, Foxconn has started providing 10,000 yuan to any worker who opts to quit.

The compensation, which typically exceeds a month’s pay for Foxconn’s blue-collar workers, is likely to appease some workers after they staged an unusually violent protest on Wednesday that brought attention to the negative economic and social effects of Xi Jinping’s Covid Zero plan.

The rallies are being held amid intense resentment over the Covid restrictions, which have forced millions of individuals to remain in their homes and closed businesses and offices in many parts of China. With 31,444 new infections, China on Thursday recorded the most Covid cases ever.

Despite the comparatively low numbers of infections and fatalities in comparison to other nations, China’s Communist party is nevertheless dedicated to its “zero-Covid” strategy, which strives to isolate each case and completely eradicate the virus.

By Wednesday night, the plant was operating normally, according to a statement from Foxconn. However, the demonstrations brought attention to how Xi’s program, which relies on quick lockdowns to eradicate the disease anywhere it appears, is burdening the economy and upending large portions of the entire supply chain.

The Foxconn incident serves as yet another warning to Apple about the risks of relying on a sizable production system headquartered in China in an era of unpredictable policies and shaky trade ties.

Factories like Foxconn’s, which assemble toys, consumer electronics, and other things for the global market, are the foundation of China’s position as an export powerhouse. Foxconn employees’ growing discontent poses a danger to further halting production at a facility that produces the majority of Apple’s bestselling products for export.

Apple has already issued a warning that it will supply fewer smartphones than expected during the crucial holiday quarter, and that wait periods for iPhones have gotten so long that they may extend past Christmas in some circumstances.