China’s zero-Covid strategy and strict action against corona outbreaks in Shanghai have led to violent protests in a huge laptop factory of contract manufacturer Quanta, which assembles Apple’s MacBook Pro, among other things. Hundreds of workers who spend the night on the factory site for the same low wages and have not been allowed to go home for weeks broke through barriers and rioted in management housing.
As the business news portal Bloomberg reports, production at the factory had to be temporarily halted in recent months due to corona outbreaks. Laptops are now being made again – albeit under rather inconvenient circumstances. The workers have not been allowed to leave the factory site for almost two months and have to spend their free time there and spend the night there.
“Closed loop” system to secure production
With this system, called “Closed Loop”, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer, who works for many other laptop suppliers besides Apple, wants to maintain production in China and prevent infections in the factory. The workers who were locked up on the factory grounds received no financial compensation. According to the report, the supply of everyday goods also needs to be improved.
Employees are increasingly responding with violence. A video recently released by Radio Free Asia shows hundreds of workers protesting violently. They broke down barriers to stock groceries and other items outside the factory. There were tumultuous scenes and fights. A group of angry workers even stormed the management’s quarters.
An employee says: “People are frustrated and tired of the constant checks. It’s inevitable, especially if you don’t know when this is all going to end.”
Factory quarantine apparently not very effective
The factory’s unloved “closed loop” system doesn’t seem as effective at preventing corona outbreaks. According to the report, despite the factory being shut down, there were local outbreaks and large groups of workers had to be taken to quarantine centers and hospitals again and again.
Quanta responded with daily factory site testing. “Most workers in the factory have now recovered from Covid,” said one worker. Nevertheless, the measures imposed are respected.
Conditions in the factory – the main production facility for Apple’s 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros – are impacting laptop buyers around the world. The delivery time for the Apple notebooks built there is now about two months, Bloomberg writes. Quanta and Apple declined to comment on the incident.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
