Over 20,000 employees leave Apple iPhone maker Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant

Apple iPhone maker Foxconn is witnessing a mass exodus of newly hired employees at its Zhengzhou plant in China. Over 20,000 workers have left the manufacturer just a day after violent protests broke out at the facility. The protests and subsequent lockdown in the city are already disturbing the manufacturer’s production timeline. The mass scale of departures is expected to further worsen the condition. 

A report by Reuters claims that most of the employees leaving the manufacturer were new hires and had not yet started working on the production line. The company had earlier planned to resume full production by the end of November. This could cause a cascading impact on Apple’s targets as well, considering that the Zhengzhou.

Also read: China locks down entire city where 70% of the world’s iPhones are made

On Wednesday, workers at the Zhengzhou Foxconn factory were seen protesting against the iPhone maker. The workers had multiple demands from the company including pending payments and better working conditions. The protests had turned violent as workers with batons had started smashing surveillance camera and even breaking some make-shift covid-19 testing centers.  

One day after the protests, the Chinese government locked down the entire city. The factory protests were a contributing factor to the lockdown. Chinese officials decided to lockdown the city and asked residents to stay at home and only leave if necessary. 

Foxconn also came up with an apology for the unrest. The iPhone maker claimed that a 'technical error' in the company's systems led to incomplete payments. The company assured the workers that they will be paid what was promised during the hiring. 

The workers also complained about their working conditions at the factory. Some claimed to not have access to food and other essential supplies. Other workers claimed that they were kept together with Covid positive workers.

Also read: Apple supplier Foxconn plans to quadruple workforce at India plant

The rising cases of Covid-19 are only aggravating the situation further at the company. China has registered its highest number of Covid cases on Thursday. The country has been known for its strict zero-Covid policy which could further lead to lockdowns and more pressure on the country's economy.