Zhengzhou
, the capital of Henan, has ordered
lockdowns
in several districts in efforts to bring the outbreaks of Covid-19 under control that sparked violent protests Tuesday night and yesterday morning at Foxconn's mega plant, the 'iPhone City' which assembles 70% of Apple's smartphones.
Residents of central Zhengzhou cannot leave the area unless they have a negative Covid test and permission from local authorities, whose advice is not to leave their homes "unless it is necessary".
According to the National Health Commission, Henan yesterday registered nearly 700 new infections.
Taiwanese tech giant
Foxconn
has apologized for a "technical error" in its payment systems after violent protests erupted over wages and working conditions at its sprawling iPhone factory in central China.
“Our team investigated this matter and discovered that a technical error occurred during the onboarding process,” a statement read.
"We apologize for an input error in the computer system and we guarantee that the actual salary is the one agreed".
Unrest at the Zhengzhou plant led several employees to smash surveillance cameras and windows on Wednesday as hundreds of other workers protested at the Zhengzhou plant, in unprecedented scenes of dissent in China, sparked by frustration over stringent anti-Covid unpaid bonuses and for the alleged lack of separation between new hires and old staff.
In various videos posted on social media, workers said they were informed that Foxconn intended to delay payment of bonuses, while others also complained that they were forced to share dormitories with colleagues who tested positive for Covid.
“Our team investigated this matter and found that a technical error had occurred,” Foxconn said in the statement.
guaranteeing that "the actual pay would be the same as agreed in the official recruitment posters".
The larger protests had subsided and the company was communicating with employees involved in smaller protests, with the aim of resolving issues and meeting workers' demands.
The Zhengzhou plant currently employs more than 200,000 people to build Apple devices, including the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
