Why India must not mimic the China Model

Horrific stories are emerging from the factories complex in Zhengzhou in central China—owned and operated by Foxconn, the world’s largest assembler of Apple iPhones—which is in the midst of a new Covid outbreak.

Several news reports, including from leading global media houses and from papers in Taiwan, the headquarters of Foxconn, have given accounts of workers fleeing the assembly plants. Strict restrictions and quarantines are in place, but workers have complained of limited food supplies and poor medical attention for those kept in isolation.

For the 200,000 workers who live here in crowded rooms inside the complex of factories where they work, this has brought new hardships in a company that has already been called out for its harsh, even exploitative, work culture. Now, fleeing workers are being lured but have largely ignored new bonus offers for those who agree to continue to work and help meet the demand for the iPhone 14 as the holiday season nears.