Apple has told managers at the production plans it uses to reduce the number of workers on iPhone assembly lines by up to 50% over the next few years, according to The Information.
Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vice president of operations, purportedly made the request (demand?). The decision was apparently made shortly after a violent incident at Apple supplier Foxconn’s main assembly plant in November 2022. Police officers beat factory workers who were striking over stick COVID lockdowns and pay disputes. The disruptions caused iPhone shortages and a dip in Apple’s smartphone sales.
In order to reduce its overall headcount, The Information says Apple is moving forward with supply chain and production automation projects that it “had previously mothballed due to high up-front costs.”
