The Chinese authorities on Wednesday decreed the containment of the area around the largest iPhone factory in the world, after the discovery of a focus of Covid cases on the industrial site.
The economic zone around Zhengzhou airport (center), where the factory managed by the Taiwanese group Foxconn is located, will have to observe a seven-day confinement, according to an official press release.
As of this Wednesday, residents "must not leave their homes" unless there is an imperative reason.
The factory, which employs more than 200,000 people, admitted itself, on October 26, to being affected by an outbreak of Covid cases.
China is the last country where strict sanitary measures still force tens of millions of inhabitants to be confined.
Bonuses increased
Dozens of employees fled to escape the site's confinement, according to images posted on social media over the weekend.
They are seen carrying suitcases, fleeing the site by climbing over the fence and then walking along the road to return home on foot.
Droves of migrant workers are fleeing Covid-hit #Zhengzhou amidst a #lockdown triggered by an outbreak in China's largest #iPhone factory.
"Workers have broken out of #Apple's largest assembly site, escaping the Zero #Covid lockdown at Foxconn in #Zhengzhou #China #Beijing pic.twitter.com/xOyhV9ynH8
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) October 31, 2022
The NGO China Labor Watch accused the Foxconn group of hiding the true number of cases among its employees and forcing those who are sick to continue working, citing an internal message sent to staff as well as testimonies from employees.
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Tuesday‚ the factory promised Tuesday bonuses multiplied by four to employees agreeing to stay on site.
To retain them, Foxconn announced on the WeChat social network that it would pay a daily bonus of 400 yuan (about 55 euros) per day at work, four times the usual amount.
Staff will also receive an additional bonus if they are present at the factory for at least 15 days in November.
This bonus can reach 15,000 yuan (2,075 euros) in the event of attendance for the entire month.