Production of the Apple device was
disrupted ahead of Christmas and January's Lunar New Year holidays, with many
workers either having to isolate to combat the spread of the virus or fleeing
the plant.
"The capacity is now being gradually
resumed" with new staff hiring underway, said the person with direct
knowledge of the matter. The person declined to be named as the information was
private.
"If the recruitment goes smoothly, it
could take around three to four weeks to resume full production," the
person said, pointing to a period around late December to early January.
Foxconn and the local government are
working hard on the recruitment drive but many uncertainties remain, according
to the source. The person cited "fears" some workers might have about
working for the company after the plant was hit by protests last month that
sometimes turned violent.
The labour unrest at the Zhengzhou plant
last month marked rare scenes of open dissent in China which workers say was
fuelled by claims of overdue pay and frustration over severe COVID-19
restrictions.
The unrest came at a time when China is
logging record numbers of COVID-19 infections and grappling with more and more
lockdowns that have fuelled frustration among citizens across the country.
The unrest came at a time when China is
logging record numbers of COVID-19 infections and grappling with more and more
lockdowns that have fuelled frustration among citizens across the country.
Foxconn declined to comment.
Shares of Foxconn were up 0.5 percent on
Monday morning, in line with the 0.6 percent rise in the broader market. © Reuters