Apple's iPhone maker Foxconn has been witnessing a mass exodus of newly hired employees at its Zhengzhou plant in China. Over 20,000 workers have left the manufacturer just a day after violent protests broke out at the facility. The manufacturer s production timeline is already disrupted by the protests and subsequent lock down in the city. The mass scale of departures is expected to worsen the condition.
According to a report by the Reuters, most of the employees leaving the manufacturer were new hires and had not yet started working on the production line. The company had originally planned to resume full production by the end of November. This could cause a cascading impact on Apple's targets, considering the Zhengzhou.
The workers had several demands from the company, including pending payments and better working conditions. The protests had turned violent as workers with batons started smashing the surveillance camera and even breaking some makeshift Covid 19 testing centers.
After the protests, the Chinese government shut down the entire city. The factory protests were a factor in the lock down. Chinese officials decided to lock down the city and ask residents to stay at home and leave only if necessary.
Foxconn came up with an apology for the unrest. A technical error'' in the company's systems led to incomplete payments, according to the iPhone maker. The company assured the workers that they will be paid what was promised during the hiring.
The workers complained about their working conditions at the factory. Some claimed they did not have access to food and other essential supplies. Other workers claimed they were kept together with Covid positive workers.
China has the highest number of cases of Covid on Thursday. The country has been known for its strict zero-Covid policy, which could lead to lock downs and more pressure on the country's economy.