Jump to content

Hundreds of MacBook Pro workers break through COVID barriers, battle guards in Chinese factory


anna_gari_maata

Recommended Posts

  • anna_gari_maata changed the title to Hundreds of MacBook Pro workers break through COVID barriers, battle guards in Chinese factory

Video footage (below) has been shared, showing hundred of MacBook Pro workers breaking through COVID barriers intended to keep them inside a Chinese plant. Some can be seen fighting with guards dressed in white protective coveralls.

The plant, owned by Quanta Computer, is operating under strict lockdown conditions which go even further than the “closed-loop” production system used at many facilities making Apple products …

Background

While most countries accept that we will have to learn to live with COVID-19, the Chinese government believes that it is possible to completely eradicate the infection from the country. It is applying strict lockdowns when even a handful of cases are discovered within a city.

Just this week, Zhengzhou –dubbed iPhone City, as it is home to the largest iPhone plant in the world – went into lockdown.

To avoid closing production plants, “‘closed-loop” production processes are permitted. This is where workers live in on-site dormitories, with none of them allowed to enter or leave the facility for a month or more at a time. Apple was hoping that this approach could enable it to protect iPhone 14 production by recruiting workers before they are needed, but this plan has now been suspended.

Quanta’s iPhone plant in Shanghai operates the closed-loop system.

MacBook Pro workers break through COVID barriers

Taiwan’s Economic Daily reports that hundreds of MacBook Pro workers climbed over barriers intended to keep them within the plant. It happened when workers on a break were denied permission to return to their dormitories to rest.

Bloomberg describes it as a major challenge to the Chinese government containment policy.

Hundreds of workers at a technology factory in China clashed with authorities and flooded past isolation barriers after weeks under lockdown, a stunning breakdown in the Communist Party’s efforts to contain Covid-19 infections.

The Shanghai factory, which is owned by Taiwan’s Quanta Computer Inc. and makes devices for Apple Inc. among others, has been operating under tight restrictions since the beginning of April. In a video shared on Twitter and YouTube, workers rushed through barriers and tangled with guards in white protective gear who tried to keep them inside.

Quanta employees confirmed the clash occurred Thursday evening, while the company did not immediately provide comment. One worker said that people are worried about further tightening because there are positive Covid cases on the campus. The government is taking a central role in managing the plant’s operations, said another employee on-site. 

The population of Shanghai – which has been subjected to some of the most severe and lasting lockdowns – is growing increasingly frustrated at the containment policy, but it is rare to see such direct rebellion in a country known for harsh punishments for those who defy government dictates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...