China. Retired soldiers have to assemble iPhones because workers have fled the factory. “Government Call”

The Veterans Affairs Office in the city of Changge, in an open letter published via the WeChat platform, called on soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to come to the factory in Zhengzhou, owned by Foxconn, an Apple subcontractor. Retired soldiers “are to respond to the government’s call” and “take part in the resumption of production” – reports “”. After some time, however, the open letter was removed from the website.

According to the newspaper, the above call is part of a campaign launched by the Henan provincial government to hire new workers for the plant. It’s about restarting production.

iPhone production has ceased. Apple warned of shipping delays

As reported in late October, there was a mass flight of workers at the largest Apple phone factory in Zhengzhou. People jumped over the fence and ran home. According to the media, tens of thousands of people were supposed to leave the factory where coronavirus restrictions were introduced. In early November, the company warned that there could be delays in iPhone shipments due to its restrictive “zero COVID” policy.

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Local authorities also encouraged staff in the cities of Kaifeng and Jiyuan in Henan Province to “form teams” to work at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility for at least a month, the South China Morning Post writes. Mei Xinyu, a researcher affiliated with China’s Ministry of Commerce, said Henan province should help restore normal production at the factory “as soon as possible” to secure Apple’s supply chains and protect the local economy.

Zhengzhou serves as the main hub of China’s national transportation network. Its railway lines connect the Chinese city with Europe and its international airport.

China. The iPhone factory takes over. Recruitment is hampered by COVID-19 restrictions

Chinese authorities announced in the latest announcement that after long efforts, they finally managed to recruit 100,000 people. workers to the iPhone factory – notes “”. People for work were recruited not only from the People’s Liberation Army, but also from the surrounding towns.

However, strict restrictions regarding COVID-19 can seriously hinder further recruitment. As we read, new employees must undergo a 4-day quarantine in a designated “observation” zone before starting work.

At its peak, China’s largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou employed around 300,000 people. employees. Currently, it operates on a very limited scale, and employees are required to work and live on the premises.