China iPhone factory workers take the money and leave after protests
Employees are leaving a vast Foxconn iPhone factory in central China over working conditions and Covid restrictions, relieved to be taking pay-offs home after angry protests at the Taiwanese tech giant's plant.
The workers are leaving the plant in Zhengzhou in the wake of bloody clashes with police, in which more than a dozen protesters were hurt, furious about Foxconn's failure to deliver promised bonuses, employees told AFP.
"The contract suddenly changed and everyone was unhappy, in addition the previous incidents at Foxconn made everyone lose trust, so the protests happened," one female worker who wished to remain anonymous told AFP.
Foxconn has been desperate to keep operations ticking along at the factory, the world's biggest manufacturer of iPhones, after a handful of Covid cases forced it to lock down the facility.
Now the firm is offering payouts to those that leave, with employees taking to social media Thursday to show they had received bonuses of 10,000 yuan ($1,400) in return for terminating their contracts.
Several coaches are parked outside dormitories in the background of several videos, supposedly there to take staff home.
"Everyone's got their money and are about to leave," the female worker said.
"I'm pretty satisfied, workers who still want this or that should not be too greedy," she said.
Foxconn also appears keen to placate those who were beaten by police, with another worker telling AFP that injured colleagues received an additional 500 yuan on top of their leaving bonus.
Foxconn did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
However, screenshots of a company notice circulating online Thursday show that new employees who wished to leave would be offered 10,000 yuan to cover lost salary, quarantine and
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