Fresh scrutiny has fallen on Foxconn’s massive Zhengzhou facility, the world’s largest iPhone factory, after a six-month undercover investigation by China Labor Watch. The group’s findings point to persistent issues, including excessive overtime, staggered wage payments designed to prevent workers from leaving during peak season, and discrimination against pregnant women and some ethnic minorities. Despite Apple’s decade-long pledges to improve supply chain standards, the report suggests key labour problems remain unresolved, the Financial Times reported.
Overreliance on temporary dispatch workers
One of the most striking findings is Foxconn’s dependence on so-called dispatch workers. More than half of the estimated 200,000 workers at the plant during peak production are temporary hires, even though Chinese labour law caps such workers at 10 percent of a company’s workforce. These staff often lack benefits available to permanent employees, such as paid sick leave, holidays, and social insurance that includes medical and pension coverage. Foxconn has previously admitted that high levels of dispatch hiring violated its own policies.
Wage delays and heavy overtime
Workers interviewed described staggered payment schedules in which part of their earnings was withheld until months later, deterring them from quitting. While base salaries often align with the local minimum wage of around Rmb2,100 a month, bonuses and overtime push overall pay higher, especially during new iPhone production runs. Still, employees said the long hours—sometimes 60 to 75 hours a week—combined with pressure from managers created a harsh environment. Many said they accepted the conditions only because alternative jobs in the region were limited.
Allegations of discrimination
The report also alleged systemic hiring discrimination. Applications submitted by Uyghur, Tibetan, and Hui minorities through Foxconn’s recruitment platform were said to be rejected automatically. Pregnant women also faced obstacles, with mandatory X-ray health checks effectively excluding them from employment until recently. Foxconn denied discriminatory practices, insisting it is an equal-opportunity employer and pointing to regular independent audits to demonstrate compliance with labour standards.
Apple and Foxconn respond
Apple said it had deployed teams to investigate after being informed of the findings, stressing its commitment to the highest labour and human rights standards in its supply chain. Foxconn similarly defended its record, noting improvements in transparency and compliance in recent years. Yet worker interviews conducted outside the factory gates by the Financial Times indicated that while conditions may be better than at some local manufacturers, grievances about wage delays and managerial treatment persist.
Trade tensions and supply chain shifts
The revelations come at a time when Apple is reshaping its supply chain to reduce reliance on China. In response to U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods under President Donald Trump, the company has set internal targets to assemble U.S.-bound iPhones in India by next year. Foxconn, Apple’s biggest contract manufacturer, has expanded operations in India to meet this demand. But in Zhengzhou, where suicides, Covid-19 unrest, and labour disputes have previously made headlines, the new report underscores how Apple’s China base remains deeply reliant on a vast, temporary, and vulnerable workforce.
The bigger picture
The Zhengzhou plant, often described as “iPhone City,” is a linchpin of Apple’s global production system. Yet the latest investigation illustrates how the world’s most valuable company continues to wrestle with the human costs of mass production. With seasonal workers clocking heavy overtime and facing delayed pay, and with allegations of discrimination still surfacing, the gap between Apple’s public commitments and factory-floor realities remains wide.
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