iPhone China Plant Sees Massive Protests, Reportedly Over Pay: 'Never Treats Humans As Humans'

Violent protests erupted at Apple Inc.'s AAPL main iPhone-making plant in China after hundreds of workers, furious over strict COVID-19 norms and unpaid dues, clashed with the security personnel. 

What Happened: Several workers at the Foxconn Technology HNHPF China plant streamed out of dormitories in the wee hours on Wednesday, jostling and pushing past the white-clad guards, Bloomberg reported based on videos sent by a witness to portions of the protest. 

Foxconn did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

See Also: China Resorts To Retired Soldiers To Drive iPhone Production At Biggest Foxconn Facility

This came almost a month after Foxconn introduced a so-called closed-loop operation at the plant – where the staff live and work on-site, isolated from the rest of the world – intended to quash a Covid-19 outbreak.

The report noted that several white-suited people repeatedly hit a person lying on the ground with sticks in another clip, while others yelled, "fight, fight!" as furious workers forced their way past the security barricades. 

A source told the publication that the protest started overnight over unpaid wages and fears of spreading infection. The person asking to remain anonymous said many workers were injured in the violent brawl and anti-riot police also arrived to restore order. 

Meanwhile, another Reuters report noted that men wielding sticks smashed surveillance cameras and windows at the Foxconn Zhengzhou plant. 

“Foxconn never treats humans as humans,” one person said in social media footage of the scenes, according to the publication. 

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