Investigation reveals slave labor conditions for iPhone 17 assemblers
28 September 2025 14:08
Workers at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, where the iPhone 17 is produced, face harsh working conditions. Employees are forced to work overtime and often seven days a week to earn a modest salary. The lack of vacations makes working at the factory akin to slavery, according to a report by the non-profit organization China Labor Watch (CLW) published by the Financial Times, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
At the factory, more than 50% of workers are registered as seasonal, which is about 200 thousand people. This far exceeds the 10% limit set by Chinese law. Despite CLW’s previously published reports on the massive registration of employees as seasonal workers, the situation has remained unchanged.
Workers often work 60 hours a week. Some refuse to take days off at all, and their working week stretches to 75 hours. In this case, the basic salary is only 2100-2400 yuan per month. To increase their income, workers are forced to take overtime, but even with overtime, their monthly salary rarely exceeds 3000 yuan. Delays in payments are also common.
Seasonal workers do not receive social benefits such as paid vacations or sick leave. The FT was able to speak with several workers who confirmed the information from the CLW report. Some noted that working conditions at other Chinese factories could be even worse, but Foxconn has at least basic amenities such as air conditioning and hot water.
In addition, there is ethnic discrimination at the factory: applications from minorities are often rejected. Although Foxconn does not officially have a policy against minorities, the employment systems ignore their applications.
The Zhengzhou plant has been involved in scandals before, including cases of worker suicides.
In response to the new CLW report, Apple representatives announced the launch of an investigation and emphasized the company’s commitment to high standards in human rights and working conditions.
