Some Apple suppliers in China are offering extra handouts to workers if they don’t travel home for the upcoming Lunar New Year festivities due to fears of renewed COVID outbreaks, according to Nikkei Asia.
Pegatron is offering production line workers a 4,000 yuan (about US$617) bonus if they stay at its factories across China for the Lunar New Year holiday, also known as the Spring Festival. The company will also waive dormitory fees between January and March.
Luxshare Precision Industry — which builds AirPods earphones and the Apple Watch — has posted an open letter urging employees to spend the holiday at its factories and promising rewards and entertainment for those who stay.
Foxconn has posted a recruitment advertisement for its Longhua campus in Shenzhen, which supplies not only Apple but also Google and Amazon, urging potential workers to “stay locally for the Chinese New Year.”
Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Friday, February 12, 2021, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 26, 2021. Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs: 2021 is the year of the Ox; 2020 the year of the Rat.
Celebrations last up to 16 days, but only the first 7 days are considered a public holiday (February 11th–17th, 2021).
