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Tag: foxconn protests

  • Watch: Chinese security forces clash with Apple supplier Foxconn’s workers during protest

    Watch: Chinese security forces clash with Apple supplier Foxconn’s workers during protest

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    US-based tech giant Apple’s supplier Foxconn’s flagship iPhone plant in China recently saw factory workers clash with security personnel. This protest at the world’s largest Apple iPhone factory emerged amid strict COVID-19 restrictions that have fuelled discontent among workers.

    Moreover, these strict COVID-19 restrictions also disrupted the production of new Apple iPhones ahead of Christmas and January’s Lunar New Year holiday, as many workers were either put into isolation or fled the plant.

    Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said, ”The worker unrest at Foxconn’s plant in China could weigh on Apple’s November iPhone shipments” as concerns grow over Apple’s ability to deliver products for the busy holiday period.

    According to reports, Foxconn is set to see a reduction in November shipments as thousands of employees quit their jobs.

    However, even if one tries to shop online, wait time on Apple’s website are now up to 40 days for the new iPhone 14 Pro, which is only expected to grow over the coming weeks as more consumers try to find iPhone Pros to purchase as gifts.

    “Apple is still viewed as one of the more resilient stocks in the tech sector… However, Apple continues to hold off from providing official guidance given the macroeconomic uncertainty,” Scholar added.

    According to the reports, Foxconn’s factory in China’s Zhengzhou is the only one that makes premium iPhone models, including the iPhone 14 Pro, and it is unlikely to resume full production by the end of this month.

    In the West, many shoppers looking for Apple’s latest high-end phones returned empty-handed from its stores this Black Friday because the smartphone giant was struggling with production snafus in China.

    Dan Ives, an analyst at investment firm Wedbush, said, “iPhone shortages are accelerating and were front and centre this morning on Black Friday across many retailers, Apple Stores, and online channels.”

    Ives, while referring to Apple’s headquarters, added, ”We believe many Apple Stores now have iPhone 14 Pro shortages based on model or colour or storage of up to 25%-30% below normal heading into a typical December, which is not a good sign heading into holiday season for Cupertino.”

    (With inputs from Reuters)

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  • ‘Lift the lockdown’: Huge protests in China’s Xinjiang against Xi Jinping over zero Covid policy

    ‘Lift the lockdown’: Huge protests in China’s Xinjiang against Xi Jinping over zero Covid policy

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    Massive protests erupted in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region against President Xi Jinping in the aftermath of the deaths of 10 people in an apartment fire, the latest sign of unrest in the country.

    The protesters directed their rage at the country’s strict COVID-19 policies.

    In videos posted on social media on Friday evening, crowds chanted “End the lockdown,” as demonstrators appeared to link China’s zero COVID-19 policy to the deaths in the fire.

    China has imposed some of the country’s longest curfews, with many of Urumqi’s 4 million residents barred from leaving their homes for up to 100 days. In the last two days, the city has reported approximately 200 new cases.

    Although the high-rise building’s occupants were reportedly able to descend the stairs, Reuters reported on Saturday that videos shared on Chinese social media showing rescue operations misled many into thinking that residents were unable to leave because the structure was partially locked down.

    The latest protests, which come in the wake of widespread employee unrest at Foxconn’s flagship iPhone plant that has resulted in thousands of resignations, will increase pressure on Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    Videos of the Foxconn protests in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, quickly went viral online as a result of the protest, which was in part stoked by China’s COVID-19 restrictions.

    The plant was scheduled to enter partial lockdown from Friday at midnight until Sunday in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 infections, which had put it under lockdown after an outbreak in October.

    Daily coronavirus cases have reached levels not seen since last year, indicating that the ‘zero-Covid’ policy has failed. On November 25, China reported 35,183 new Covid infections, a new high for the third day in a row.

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