For those who have short memories, Foxconn deeply embarrassed Apple when it was revealed that its working conditions were so bad that workers were throwing themselves off buildings. Foxconn's response was to install nets to catch the suicidal workers.
Now, China Labor Watch reckons staff at Foxconn’s mega-factory in Zhengzhou are back to being the sort of place no one in their right mind would want to work.
Staff are stuck with long overtime hours, late wages, and dodgy treatment of minorities. More than half of the 200,000 peak-season workers are “dispatch staff”, despite Chinese law capping such temporary labour at 10 per cent.
The US-based rights group said Foxconn staggers wage payments to stop seasonal staff from walking out. These workers do not get paid sick leave, holidays, or the medical and pension cover that full-time staff enjoy.
CLW’s boss Li Qiang said: “Despite Apple’s repeated pledges to improve conditions over the past decade, our investigation finds that core labour issues remain. Apple’s supply chain continues to depend on a vast, disposable workforce.”
Foxconn insisted it was an “equal opportunity employer” and claimed it had been running independent audits for the past two years. Job’s Mob issued its usual canned line about being “firmly committed to the highest standards of labour, human rights, environmental, and ethical conduct” and promised an immediate probe.
CLW’s six-month investigation used undercover workers to conduct more than 100 interviews. The Financial Times later spoke to a dozen staff outside the gates and a handful of agency recruiters. They confirmed some of the findings, though a few said conditions looked better than at other local factories, citing perks like air conditioning, canteen subsidies, and hot water.
A 23-year-old former teacher said she had done two months at Foxconn: “If I can’t find another job, I might come back.”
But two insiders claimed Foxconn’s recruitment platform rejects CVs from Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Huis from outside Henan, effectively blocking them.
“Foxconn does not have an explicit policy that bans minorities. But if you submit their application to their hiring app, it will get rejected,” one source said.
Zhengzhou has become the lynchpin of Job’s Mob’s supply chain, with suppliers and agencies swarming around it. Until recently, job applicants were forced to undergo X-rays that CLW said effectively excluded pregnant women.
Foxconn uses the flexibility of short-term deals to match Apple’s shifting demands. Job’s Mob, meanwhile, is shoving more work to India thanks to tariffs from Trump’s administration.
Li Qiang added: “The trade war has created major uncertainty for orders. Until the last moment, it is unclear whether Apple will allocate production to India or to Chinese factories.”
This time CLW found no underage staff, unlike in its 2019 report, and noticed slight improvements in average overtime. Still, workers reported punishing schedules of 60 to 75 hours per week.
Dispatch workers earn a base wage of Rmb2,100 (€270) a month, Henan’s minimum, but signing bonuses of up to Rmb9,800 (€1,260) make it competitive. The catch is those bonuses are only paid after months on the line, keeping people locked in. Hourly wages range from Rmb12 (€1.55) to Rmb28 (€3.60), depending on experience and the hiring cycle.
One employee told the FT she did six or seven days a week with two and a half hours of overtime each day. “Some managers have bad attitudes. We work hard, but they keep pushing and squeezing us,” she said.
