Hundreds of over 200,000 workers at Apple Inc.’s main iPhone plant in Zhengzhou, China have been clashing with security personnel — and things have even gotten violent, resulting in several injuries.
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Violent Protests At Apple iPhone Plant In China Leaves Several Injured, Plus A 6M Phone Shortage & 3% Drop In Shares
After news of the protests, Bloomberg reported that the company may also see a shortage of nearly 6 million iPhone Pro models. The potential production shortfall has now led to a slip in Apple shares, nearly 3% as of Monday (November 28).
Earlier this week, reports first surfaced regarding tensions boiling over after months of tough restrictions implemented again in China — which are being enforced to prevent another COVID outbreak. It’s reported that Zhengzhou has been on lockdown since October, but other areas have been barring people since the beginning of the year.
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However, the latest protests in “iPhone City” are not only in response to fears of spreading the virus, but also from unpaid wages and “work subsidies,” like bonuses and increased wages and benefits promised to workers.
Last Wednesday (November 23), in the early hours, several employees at the Foxconn Technology Group plant fled their sleeping quarters and began protesting, eventually clashing with security guards.
Several video clips have been making their rounds online, showing the protests, which ended up turning violent with workers and guards becoming increasingly aggressive. Many workers have even gotten injured during the clashes, and anti-riot police were eventually called in to restore order.
Apple and Foxconn claim they’re working on replacing staff who’ve fled, and are resuming full production as soon as possible.
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