Foxconn employees take shuttle buses to head home on October 30, 2022 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province of China.
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Apple supplier Foxconn is offering $141 dollars for successful staff referrals, Reuters reported.
Foxconn is attempting to lure new staff to the so-called “iPhone City” after protests saw large numbers of workers leave.
Apple is facing a shortfall of nearly 6 million iPhones this year because of protests.
Apple supplier Foxconn is offering 1,000 Yuan ($141) to staff who successfully refer people to work at its Zhengzhou plant after protests gutted its staff, Reuters reported.
Foxconn, which operates Apple’s biggest iPhone-making factory in China, is encouraging staff to make referrals. Foxconn’s recruitment team posted the proposal on WeChat offering 500 Yuan ($70.70) if a person stayed for 15 days and another 500 Yuan if they stay at the company for a month.
Foxconn workers typically make 3,000 to 4,000 Yuan ($424.20 to $565.60) a month.
The plant, known as ‘iPhone city’, had around 200,000 workers at the beginning of October, but is now suffering from a depleted headcount. Many workers escaped at the end of October, leaving the complex amid severe COVID-19 restrictions that worsened living conditions.
The plant had enforced a “closed loop system,” which saw workers being transported directly from their dormitories to the factory and back.
Food shortages were also a source of unrest as many infected workers — and those who feared leaving their dormitories — were only provided with basic supplies such as bread and instant noodles.
The situation escalated further when mass protests and riots broke out earlier this month over unpaid wages and draconian lockdown measures.
Apple is facing a shortfall of nearly six million iPhone Pros this year due to the protests against China’s zero-COVID policy. Production at the factory in November has been cut by at least 30%, sources told Reuters.
To lure workers back, the firm is now offering $1,800 bonuses to some workers to continue working at the factory.
China is also lifting its lockdown restrictions from November 30 after no new infections were found for five days in a row, declaring it a low-risk zone.