Screenshot from viral videos. Violent protests broke out in Foxconn, a major Apple iPhone subcontractor in Zhengzhou province, China, as a reaction to the state's strict zero-COVID rules. While the campus closed-loop management has undoubtedly added stress to the workers, the recent protests occurred against the backdrop of exploitative labor conditions, according to labor rights watchdog China Labour Bulletin’s (CLB) recent investigation. After the mass exodus of Foxconn workers near the end of October, the factory attempted to keep the production line operating by increasing the daily overtime work bonus from RMB 100 (USD 14) to RMB 400 (USD 56) on November 1. One week later, Apple. Inc issued a statement admitting that the iPhone's production output had been affected by Foxconn workers’ exodus but stressed that it would ensure a normal output level. To ensure the output, Foxconn needed more workers. The Henan government stepped in to offer help. By November 17, within two weeks, more than 100,000 new workers had been recruited. Yet, on November 23, after the new workers had finished their COVID quarantine and moved to the factory campus, violent protests broke out. CLB has concluded that the violent protests had two trigger points. First, the COVID-free new workers found out that they had to live and work with workers who were COVID-positive. Secondly, the contracts that the new workers received were different from what they had been promised during recruitment. According to a report from a mainland Chinese media outlet, Foxconn promised that the new workers would receive an RMB 3,000 (USD 420) bonus for regular attendance upon working for 30 days and another round after 60 days. After they moved into the campus, they were notified that they could only receive the bonus after working for three months. The newcomers felt cheated and started protesting. Here is a video showing the protests on November 23: 郑州富士康今晚越来越激烈…… pic.twitter.com/5TQBof8LZu — tong (@tong57966037) November 23, 2022 The confrontation tonight is getting more and more intense… The next day, Foxconn admitted that there was a technical error in the payouts for the newly hired. The company said it would fix the error, guaranteeing that the workers’ contracts would match their recruitment promises and committing to releasing an RMB 10,000 (USD 1,400) quarantine and healthcare subsidy for those who decided to leave the factory. While the protests are over, the real issues have not been addressed. Many workers voiced their discontent during the exodus in October about the closed-loop plant management, poor living conditions, and lack of healthcare support within the campus during last month's COVID outbreak. Instead of addressing the workers’ concerns, the government's top priority was to continue the production of iPhones. To do so, the Henan government stepped in to help recruit new workers for Foxconn by mobilizing other provincial and local-level governments to help out. Under pressure, some local authorities handed down a recruitment quota to meet the targets, and eventually, some civil servants and retired military personnel were mobilized to fill the quota. The recruitment ads, however, were misleading. Below is a Foxconn job ad posted by a local party branch on Twitter. It said that the monthly salary was more than RMB 10,000 (USD 1,400) per month without specifying that a large part of the payroll comes from the overtime bonus system. @iamdoublelee mocked the ad: 富士康河南全省招工，政府下发社区，国内营商环境不错吧，政府来给你服务，大家别跑 pic.twitter.com/jkp3bFOAHr — 大力说 (@iamdoublelee) November 22, 2022 Foxconn is recruiting workers all across Henan province. Government handed down to the communities. The business environment is so good in mainland China. Governments serve you so well. Don't run. In another video, which claimed to be taken in Luyi county in Henan, a male voice claimed that he was recruiting for Foxconn with an RMB 1,000 (USD 140) daily salary. A woman asked if women could apply, and the man answered that even the homeless could join. The video was originally shared on Douyin, a popular Chinese video platform, and was reposted on Twitter by @Martin_122213: 2022年11月14日.河南省鹿邑县,富士康招工,1000元日薪,没人去! pic.twitter.com/BzptpKU0dT — Martin (@Martin_122213) November 16, 2022 On November 14, 2022. Luyi county, Henan. Foxconn recruitment. RMB 1,000 daily salary. No one follows [the man]. The mass recruitment of more than 100,000 workers was finished within two weeks without proper interviews or onboarding, with many of them having no previous factory work experience.