According to the official Shanghai Securities News, local officials in the Chinese province of Henan are inviting retired military personnel and employees of the public sector to accept temporary positions at Foxconn's iPhone factory in Zhengzhou.
Authorities in cities like Jiyuan and Kaifeng have been urging retired workers, saying that those who accept the offer will be entitled to earn their current income as well as wages and incentives from the factory, the publication stated in an article on its official WeChat account.
Discontent has been raised about the government-mandated efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, which forced Foxconn to isolate many employees while also forcing a huge number of others to leave the company in recent weeks. Foxconn is the largest iPhone manufacturing plant in the world.
The limitations were put in place at the government's request "to provide a safe and sanitary dormitory area for Foxconn comrades, and effectively control the risks of COVID-19 spreading" according to the statement.
An unnamed junior government official said public sector workers in Jiyuan can receive an 800 yuan ($112.90) signing bonus and a further 3,000 yuan ($423.50) incentive after completing 30 days of labor, on top of factory wages and their present salary.
Earlier this month, Foxconn doubled retention bonuses and launched a recruitment drive with higher-than-usual pay packages.
After factory workers complained about their treatment and the arrangements made as part of COVID-19 preventive efforts, Foxconn has been attempting to keep employees and defuse tensions in the workplace. A number of workers left the factory as well, which prompted Foxconn to give out sizable bonuses to keep workers.
Foxconn started a recruitment campaign earlier this month and increased bonuses for employees who stayed. They also offered larger compensation than usual.
The facility welcomed its first group of new employees on November 13, according to a report from the Henan Daily on Tuesday.
As a result, Apple last week revised its expectation for shipments of the expensive iPhone 14 model downward. Foxconn's production of Apple's iPhones at the Zhengzhou factory, according to reports, may decline by as much as 30% in November.
Apple noted in a statement released at the same time that COVID-19 restrictions will temporarily delay manufacturing in Zhengzhou, resulting in lesser iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max shipments than previously expected.
Customers would have to wait longer to receive their new gadgets, according to Apple.
Apple's latest iPhone 14 went on sale in September.
