Storm at China's Apple phone plant recalls Bengaluru: Production hit

- The threat of Covid in the plant known as Apple City

- Occasional

- Where Apple phones are assembled, workers earn low wages and poor facilities

It is surprising to see that Apple, an American company with a market cap of 3 trillion dollars, has fewer employees and they are storming due to irregular wages. The same thing that happened in a factory near Bangalore has happened in China. Mobile phones that have become unpopular are workers where Apple phones are assembled, earning low wages and poor facilities. This is a shame for Apple. Foxconn, the company that assembles Apple's phones, has repeatedly drawn the ire of its employees. 440 crores worth of damage was caused two years ago by employees at Foxconn's factory near Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The same thing happened two days ago in Foxconn's factory in Zhenzhou, China, also known as Apple City. Two lakh people work here.

The reason behind both the incidents is common and that is, low and irregular wages. Foxconn's Karnataka account had a staff of 2,000. There was one washroom between 50 persons and it was not cleaned. Thus, the movement was going on for the last few months, but after the restrictions imposed due to Corona in the last few days, the matter got stuck. China's agitations are not usually exposed to the world, but the fight between security and workers at Foxconn has intensified as Apple assembles. Apple cannot afford to reduce its production, on the other hand strict operations due to Kovid are having a direct impact.

There is a direct clash between thousands of workers and security in China. The one or two videos that have been circulating are showing the atrocities inside the factory. It is seen that the security personnel are hitting the employees by wearing the white suit used in the treatment of Corona. The employees are lying on the ground and men in white suits are seen near them. Repression of staff is not new in China, but here it is reversed. Staff are stopped from leaving the plant and beaten on the other hand.

There has been a controversy after some of them were fired without showing the report after the Corona test. These people simultaneously work in an unsanitary place. No explanation has been given for the report even though there is a full possibility that if one person gets corona, the other will get it. Some employees are heard in the video shouting that you are calling to kill us here. Lockdown has started in this factory since October. As soon as the lockdown started, some of the employees ran away with their clothes on. Due to China's Covid Zero Policy, all provinces are taking strict measures.

As soon as the production of iPhone was affected, it was announced to give a subsidy of 70 dollars (500 yuan) to the employees. This subsidy is named Care and Love. However, the employees say that those who are corona positive should be kept in isolation, otherwise we will all perish. Riots are staged to get the attention of the Chinese authorities so that they can get more help. Two years ago, when a storm broke out at Foxconn's factory 60 km from Bengaluru in Karnataka, thousands of iPhones were looted and half of the factory's furniture and computers were smashed. Here the wages were paid irregularly to the employees. Karnataka government had also filed a case against Foxconn at that time. There was also a rumor that Apple would stop production in India and set up another factory in China.

The Karnataka government tactfully brokered a settlement between the employees and Foxconn and set up new facilities including washrooms. Compromise with employees is not possible in China. There is more government mandate. China knows that if the covid rears its head again, its economic condition may suffer a major blow. Riots in China's manufacturing hubs due to Covid become a matter of concern for China. Apple's latest Fortinet Pro model of the iPhone is made in a factory in China. Apple's units are becoming less due to Covid.