The often low-paid workers of Quanta Computer, a major supplier of iPhone maker Apple, are starting to revolt against the strict corona measures in China.
Hundreds of workers at the Taiwanese Quanta factory in Shanghai clashed with guards. Bloomberg reported this based on insiders who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals from the Chinese authorities.
The workers have been imprisoned in a locked factory for almost two months because of the strict corona policy in the Chinese metropolis and demand more freedom. Last weekend, media reports were shared on social media about a large group storming a dormitory where Quanta’s Taiwanese managers lived, following a dispute over the lengthy lockdown and wage payments.
The incidents underline the major consequences of the lockdown that has turned the lives of the 25 million inhabitants of Shanghai upside down since March. “People are getting frustrated and tired of these controls,” said one of the workers. “That’s inevitable, especially if there’s no timeline where this will all end.”
Quanta and Apple declined to comment on reports of the workers’ uprising. In April, Quanta said in a document filed with the Taiwan exchange that it was shutting down production at its Shanghai site and taking steps following local government regulations to protect its workforce.
It’s unclear how widespread the factory unrest in Shanghai is at the moment, but economists think the Quanta uprising is unlikely to be an isolated incident. Most factories in and around Shanghai have gone into a “closed bubble” since late March, a mechanism hailed by the Chinese government as the most effective way to contain the spread of the coronavirus while keeping factories running. The system forces workers to live and sleep on factory sites or in nearby accommodations.