Foxconn Photo: VCG

Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant in Central China's Henan Province announced on Tuesday that it would pay a record daily bonus of 400 yuan ($55) to encourage its workers to stay on the production line, as the company moves to restore operations amid a recent COVID-19 outbreak.

After some workers left the factory in recent days amid the outbreak, Foxconn said in a recruitment notice that it would offer the new bonus, a significant rise from the original 100 yuan per day. 

The new arrangement is for the company's iDPBG group, which makes iPhones, and the offer is valid for November.

For those with full attendance in November, they can get an extra bonus of up to 15,000 yuan, in addition to their daily bonus, Foxconn said.

A person in Foxconn's recruitment sector confirmed the offer to the Global Times on Tuesday. The offer was made to thank workers who chose to stay on duty as the company works out production arrangements while coordinating with local government on epidemic control, according to media reports.

Foxconn had offered attendance bonuses in the past to attract workers, but the standard was usually about 100 yuan.

With strong government support, epidemic prevention work at the Zhengzhou plant is progressing, and the order of production is being restored in an orderly manner, Foxconn's iDPBG Zhengzhou Epidemic Prevention and Control Team said.

An employee at Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant told yicai.com on Tuesday that the plant is optimizing and refining its epidemic prevention and control measures.

It's regularly disinfecting the factory and workers' dormitories, while making every effort to organize production in the company's epidemic-free workshop area under the premise of ensuring safety.

The company also introduced a quarantine subsidy of 300 yuan per day for quarantined employees, another worker told the media.

Other measures such as the gradual resumption of food service at the factory's canteen are also in place as the company aims to restore production quickly.

Workers at a production workshop of Foxconn's technology park in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province on September 4, 2021. The park is a major global smartphone manufacturing base. Photo: VCG

Production at the Zhengzhou plant, the major supplier of Apple with 300,000 workers, has been the center of attention, with a possible impact on shipments of the new iPhone series.

In a previous statement that Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) sent to the Global Times, it said that epidemic control work is underway, with measures such as closed-loop management and point-to-point commute, while providing employees with three free meals a day.

Global Times