The COVID-hit Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou, Henan province said on Tuesday that it has increased bonuses for workers who are able to clock in normally to maintain capacity during the peak production season, as the local government announced an adjustment in containment measures to restore normal production.
The world's largest iPhone assembly plant said in a notice that throughout this November, employees who stay on duty despite the appearance of COVID-19 infections can receive a bonus of 400 yuan ($55) per day, up from a previous 100 yuan.
Those who go to work every day will receive upwards of 15,000 yuan in total bonuses this month, it said.
The new policy has been announced as the facility that employs more than 200,000 workers undergoes a critical period of producing iPhones for the world amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in the city.
"In order to counter the impact from the epidemic and encourage workers to remain at their posts, the company has adjusted motivation policies for its iDPBG section," the notice said. The iDPBG section is devoted to developing and manufacturing smartphones.
The factory is currently operating under a closed-loop management protocol, offering accommodation, daily nucleic acid tests and regular healthcare services for workers who are willing to stay on campus. Dinein services have partially resumed.
Wang Kai, governor of Henan province, said during a visit to the Foxconn facility on Tuesday that an emergency command system integrating official and enterprise-based antivirus efforts should be established.
He urged strict closed-loop management of personnel and materials on campus, as well as improved working conditions, psychological consultations and medical services for employees to protect their safety and health.
Employees who prefer to return to their hometowns — often in other cities in Henan province — have had designated buses arranged to carry them to their destinations, where the employees will be put in isolation to reduce the risk of the virus' spread.
Zhengzhou is coping with an increase in COVID-19 cases that emerged in early October and prompted widespread lockdowns across communities.
On Monday it registered 13 confirmed local cases and 82 local asymptomatic infections, with the majority found in quarantined or controlled areas.
The disease control authority of the city said on Tuesday that the city will restore normal production in an orderly manner.
Three districts are still at risk of seeing the continued spread of the disease and will continue to face rigorous control measures. Residents in the rest of the city can gradually resume their normal lives but a negative test result obtained within 24 hours is required before being able to move around in public.
Supermarkets, hairdressers and drugstores can also reopen, it added.
Wang, governor of Henan, said during a meeting on Monday that the designation of at-risk areas should be scientific and the practice of locking down whole residential complexes for prolonged periods due to sporadic cases should be forbidden.
"Enterprises should also strengthen provisions for workers and arrange point-to-point transfer services for returning workers," he said.