Foxconn says it will pay Chinese workers

The biggest manufacturer of Apple iPhones was working Thursday to resolve a second dispute with workers in as many months. Protests by Chinese workers at Foxconn this week escalated into a clash with groups of police in white hazmat suits. Social media videos showed some police beating protesters.

What was the dispute about? The employees said Foxconn had offered 25,000 yuan—or roughly $3,500 USD—if they worked for two months. Foxconn decided to replace workers who walked off the job last month in protest of living conditions as COVID-19 spread in the area. That walkout prompted Apple to announce that it would push back deliveries of its iPhone 14. When the new employees arrived, company officials said they would have to work two months at less pay before they could get the higher pay. Foxconn has now said it will honor its initial offer and pay severance to workers who choose to leave.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report in World Tour about China’s international covert police outposts—which some say the government is using to target dissidents.