Veterans told to work in iPhone factory

Ex-servicemen and local government officials are being urged to work temporarily for the world’s largest iPhone factory in central China to plug an acute labour shortage after coronavirus outbreaks.

An exodus of workers from the Foxconn plant in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, has led to delays in production of the newest models of phone.

Apple has warned that shipments of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max series could be affected, forcing local authorities to try to boost the workforce.

A notice published by the veteran affairs bureau in the city of Changge, an hour’s drive from Zhengzhou, called on retired personnel of the People’s Liberation Army to ‘‘take on urgent, difficult, risky and heavy tasks’’ and ‘‘go where they are needed’’. It assured them that it would be safe to work in the factory. ‘‘As you are answering the call by the government to work at Foxconn, you should also . . . promptly send the message of work resumption to the masses, spread positivity and correctly guide [them],’’ the notice said.

Local officials in cities such as Kaifeng and Jiyuan confirmed to the Shanghai Securities News that they were directed to mobilise government workers to work in the Foxconn factory.

‘‘The requirement is that cadres [local officials] should take the lead, and the minimum work period is one month,’’ an unnamed official in Kaifeng told the newspaper.

The huge Foxconn plant, which employs up to 200,000 workers, is a critical part of Apple’s supply chain, manufacturing half of the world’s new iPhones and up to 85% of the 14 Pro models which come to market. It is believed to be one of the few facilities equipped to make the newer, high-end models, which cost £1099 (NZ$2122) or more in Britain.

– The Times