Workers smashing surveillance cameras and windows participated in the latest protest in Foxconn’s iPhone plant in China, as surging Covid infections make it harder for the government to achieve its zero-Covid policies.
The protests began on Wednesday when a plan to delay bonus payments was announced, triggering the workers’ anger, as it was seen in footage uploaded on social media. The massive factory is located in Zhengzhou, a city known for its extreme Covid restrictions.
The protest images come at a time when investors are concerned about escalating global supply-chain issues, due in part to China’s Covid policies.
In the rare scenes that flooded outlets, workers are chanting as they are surrounded by people in full hazmat suits. The use of tear gas to control workers taking down quarantine barriers was also seen.
Videos shared on social media platform Kuaishou were taken down hours later.
According to reports, unrest is mounting on the factory as new workers are forced to share dormitories with colleagues infected with Covid.
“Regarding any violence, the company will continue to communicate with employees and the government to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Foxconn said in a statement.
The iPhone maker denied any wrongdoing regarding payments or infected staff on campus.
In the last few days, the daily case count has climbed to around or more than 28,000 in China, near levels seen in April during a stringent lockdown in Shanghai.
