The Zhengzhou Foxconn protests, officially referred to by Foxconn Technology Group as the "Zhengzhou Mass Gathering Incident" , began in November 2022.[1] These protests, strikes, and violent clashes were initiated and participated in by some employees at the Zhengzhou factory in Henan Province, China, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group (known as Foxconn in mainland China), in response to Foxconn Technology Group's breach of contract and the Chinese government's "dynamic zero-COVID" policy.[2]
In the early 21st century, accusations emerged that Foxconn Technology Group's operations in mainland China fit the definition of a "sweatshop".[3] These accusations included militarized and high-pressure management[4] and excessive overtime.[5] Since 2009, several employees have committed suicide due to job-related stress. Guo Jun, a secretary of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and head of its Legal Work Department, criticized Foxconn's illegal overtime practices in his report on ten significant illegal labor cases and labor incidents in China in 2014.[6] In response to these accusations, former chairman and founder of Foxconn Technology Group, Terry Gou, stated:[7]
What's wrong with sweatshop? We bleed and sweat, but as long as we comply with the law, we believe that hard work pays off
— Terry Gou, On April 28, 2012, Terry Gou responded to external questioning of allegations against sweatshops
The labor rights dispute in Zhengzhou originated in early October 2022, when the local government in Zhengzhou implemented a "dynamic zero-COVID" policy to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, affecting Foxconn employees. Rumors spread that the outbreak had reached the Foxconn factory, with reports of sick employees working and worsening living conditions. Videos circulated online showing a significant number of Foxconn employees walking home .[8] Although the Henan provincial government later arranged transportation for returning Foxconn employees, the Zhengzhou government was criticized by the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism for its arbitrary use of "silent periods" and lockdowns instead of proper control measures on November 5 .[9]
Protests
The mass resignation wave caused by the strict anti-epidemic measures left a large number of vacancies at Foxconn, prompting the company to issue recruitment notices to fill the gaps .[10] The Henan provincial government also encouraged local residents, including veterans, to apply for jobs at Foxconn .[10] However, employees accused Foxconn of hiring at high wages but later offering new contracts at basic salaries . Furthermore, due to the government's stringent zero-COVID policy, employees could not leave the factory at will, leading to protests against Foxconn and the local government.[11][12]
Zhengzhou Foxconn workers protest
Reports indicated violent clashes between Foxconn employees and government personnel, including police and health workers in hazmat suits .[13] Social media platforms like Twitter showed videos of employees using folding chairs to smash COVID-19 testing stations and using sticks to fend off police barricades. In response to inadequate local control measures, the Henan provincial government dispatched additional police forces from neighboring cities like Luoyang. The New York Times, BBC, Reuters, and other media widely covered the incident, [14][15] with some calling it the largest anti-government protest since 1989.[16] Foxconn later issued a statement conceding to workers' demands, which eased the situation.
Responses
On November 25, Foxconn Technology Group issued a statement apologizing for the discrepancy between the promised and actual wages, attributing it to a "technical error" by internal staff, and assured that all salary policies matched the official recruitment advertisements .[17]
Follow-Up Developments
In early November, Terry Gou wrote to Xi Jinping, which facilitated the introduction of the "Twenty Measures" on November 11 to ease the zero-COVID policy .[18] On November 25, the Zhengzhou government organized buses to transport hundreds of Foxconn employees to Xuzhou. Some employees left independently upon arrival, their whereabouts unknown. Meanwhile, Henan also transported some stranded personnel to Jiangsu by train . The next day, the Xuzhou COVID-19 Epidemic Joint Prevention and Control Command issued a statement clarifying that the transportation was uncoordinated and that employees were allowed to leave Xuzhou voluntarily .[19]
Despite the announcement of the Twenty Measures, local governments did not implement the provisions but instead adopted stricter control measures .[20] This approach directly led to large-scale protests and demonstrations nationwide following the Ürümqi fire on November 24, ultimately prompting the central government to ease restrictions. On December 7, the new "Ten Measures" were issued, ending the three-year zero-COVID policy.
^Zhou, Kanwang (2022-11-24). "富士康鄭州廠驚傳暴動…「員工燒毀大門」警射催淚瓦斯鎮壓 衝突原因曝" [Foxconn Zhengzhou factory reported a shocking riot... "Employees burned down the gate," police fired tear gas to suppress it]. Yahoo News (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^Tian, Xingchun (2010-05-24). "富士康员工加班所赚占收入一半 称喜欢多加点班" [Foxconn employees earn half of their income from overtime and claim to enjoy working extra shifts]. web.archive.org. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^Liang, Fulong (2015-02-06). "富士康违法加班被全国总工会点名批评 富士康员工怎么说" [Foxconn's illegal overtime has been criticized by the All China Federation of Trade Unions. What do Foxconn employees say]. Xinhua News Agency.
^"疫情防控最新情况通报！_服务信息_中国政府网" [Report on the latest situation of epidemic prevention and control!]. www.gov.cn. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^ abChe, Chang; Liu, John (2022-11-24). "中国政府帮助郑州富士康招工，动员退伍军人及党员" [The Chinese government helps Zhengzhou Foxconn recruit workers and mobilizes veterans and party members]. 纽约时报中文网 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^Mu, Feng (2022-11-23). "郑州富士康工厂再出状况 工人与警察大规模对峙" [Zhengzhou Foxconn factory has encountered another situation, with workers and police facing off on a large scale]. 美国之音 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^"早報：鄭州富士康工人集體抗議，與警察發生大規模衝突｜端傳媒 Initium Media" [Morning Post: Zhengzhou Foxconn workers protest collectively and engage in large-scale clashes with the police]. 端傳媒 Initium Media (in Traditional Chinese). 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^"要闻解说 - 新冠清零政策下郑州富士康厂区爆发大规模员工抗争" [Large scale employee resistance broke out in Zhengzhou Foxconn factory under COVID-19 zero clearing policy]. RFI - 法国国际广播电台 (in Simplified Chinese). 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^Zhong, Yangshe (2022-12-02). "紐時：富士康只是開始，中國清零不改會有更多工廠爆抗爭 | 中央社 | 遠見雜誌" [New York Times: Foxconn is just the beginning, China's zero tolerance policy will lead to more factories exploding in resistance]. web.archive.org. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^"郑州富士康超级工厂爆发抗议 大批工人与警方冲突" [Zhengzhou Foxconn Super Factory erupts in protests, with a large number of workers clashing with the police]. BBC News 中文 (in Simplified Chinese). 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^Xu, Shaoyun; Chen, Jianyi (2022-11-24). "鄭州富士康暴動加劇 網封「六四事件後最大抗爭」" [Foxconn riots in Zhengzhou intensify, internet blockade "biggest protest after June 4th incident"]. 鏡新聞 (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^"工人抗爭…富士康道歉「招募技術錯誤」 網傳示威者列黑名單永不錄用 | 陸疫情持續 | 兩岸 | 聯合新聞網" [Workers protest... Foxconn apologizes for "recruiting technical errors". Online rumors spread that protesters will be blacklisted and never hired]. web.archive.org. 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^"鄭州擅運870名富士康離職員工到徐州惹不滿" [Zhengzhou illegally transported 870 former Foxconn employees to Xuzhou, causing dissatisfaction]. Now 新聞 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
^Li, Wenhui (2022-12-03). "為什麼還是出現層層加碼？大陸二十條措施問答釋疑" [Why are there still layers of reinforcement? Q&A on the 20 Measures for Mainland China].
