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Why China’s efforts to help world’s largest iPhone factory descended into violent protests, further disrupting Apple’s supply chain
- The latest disruption shows how efforts by authorities in central Henan province to help Foxconn resume full production in Zhengzhou have backfired
- That situation may cause major iPhone 14 shortages well into this Christmas season, analysts say
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Protests over Covid-19 measures and employee benefits that descended into violent clashes between hundreds of workers and security forces at the world’s largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, capital of central Henan province, are expected to further derail manufacturing and global shipment schedules of Apple’s flagship product.
That turn of events also showed how the efforts by Henan authorities to help resume full production at the Foxconn Technology Group-operated facility have backfired, which could accelerate the pace of shifting more electronics production outside mainland China to countries like Vietnam and India.
Videos that circulated online on Tuesday and Wednesday, which were verified by several former Foxconn employees in Zhengzhou, showed fights breaking out between workers and security forces at the factory. These videos also showed angry workers kicking down barriers and dismantling polymerase chain reaction testing kiosks.
A major complaint by workers, some of whom agreed to speak with the South China Morning Post, is that new recruits were forced to share dormitories with known Covid-19 patients inside the Zhengzhou compound. Foxconn denied this allegation in its statement issued on Wednesday.
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Violence erupts at world’s largest iPhone factory over benefits and Covid-19 controls
Violence erupts at world’s largest iPhone factory over benefits and Covid-19 controls
Local authorities had earlier sent in thousands of personnel to help Foxconn enforce quarantine, ensuring workers do not leave the area as part of a “closed-loop” production system that keeps all personnel living and working inside the campus. At full production capacity, Foxconn’s Zhengzhou manufacturing complex can accommodate up to 300,000 workers.
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