Inside Romoss Factory Shutdown Day: Employees Retrieve Belongings as Top Executives Vanish

Chaos at Shenzhen Headquarters as Operations Halt

July 7 marked the first official day of production suspension at Romoss International Innovation Valley headquarters, with employees crowding the lobby to retrieve personal belongings amidst confusion and anger. Security personnel escorted workers floor-by-floor through restricted office areas during the Romoss shutdown, checking outgoing boxes while preventing non-employees from entering. Marketing manager Zhang Wei (张伟) told reporters: “We hoped management would explain unpaid wages today. Instead, we got guards checking resignations.”

Employee Desperation Mounts

Over 200 workers gathered across three levels (16-18F) executing exit protocols amidst scenes of colleagues hauling plants, family photos, and personal items through elevators. Common grievances included:

June salaries paid at 60% despite workforce reductions
Accumulated overtime bonuses withheld since March
Nullified annual performance bonuses
40% maternity leave payment gap unresolved

Vanishing Leadership Deepens Crisis

The mysterious disappearance of Romoss’ top five executives overshadows the Romoss shutdown. Lei Guiqiang (雷桂强), Lei Canfeng (雷灿锋), Lei Guibin (雷桂斌), Li Qiuhua (李秋华), and Lei Canhuo (雷灿伙) vanished from corporate communications in April, deleting DingTalk profiles according to documentation technicians. Factory supervisors confirmed executives haven’t attended onsite meetings since mid-Q2. This leadership vacuum forced middle management to join class-action lawsuits seeking compensation.

Legal Authorization Efforts

In the central lobby, employees queued to submit biometric authorization forms, empowering attorneys to:

File breach-of-contract claims under Labor Contract Law Article 38
Demand severance calculations based on tenures exceeding 5 years
Challenge unlawful wage reduction to Guangdong Province’s 80% minimum rule

Recall-to-Shutdown Timeline Exposes Industry Crisis

The Romoss shutdown climaxes cascading failures since mid-June’s charging device scandals:

June 16: Voluntary power bank recalls initiated
June 19: Multiple schools ban Romoss products
June 23: CCC certification suspended by regulators
June 26: Civil Aviation Administration restricts uncertified power banks
July 6: Midnight announcement of 6-month suspension

A procurement specialist revealed: “We served three weeks as emergency customer service during the recall, believing we’d save Romoss. Then came the termination notice.”

Labor Law Violations Trigger Backlash

Experts condemn Romoss shutdown procedures as unlawful:

Policy Irregularities

China Enterprise Capital Alliance Deputy Chairman Bai Wenxi (柏文喜) identified three violations:

Unilateral suspension without labor consultation as required by Guangdong Wage Regulations
Terminating employee access rights before contract termination
Illegal wage reductions during operational stagnation

Union Response

Shenzhen Electronics Workers Federation has:

Opened emergency hotlines for technical staff
Collated wage discrepancy evidence across departments
Preparing appeals to municipal human resources bureau

Post-Shutdown Uncertainty Grips Sector

The unprecedented Romoss shutdown signals industry-wide reorganization. Workers face tense futures:

Formal operators told to “voluntarily resign” without compensation
Suspension officially projected at 6 months without reopening guarantees
Recall commitments maintained per Taobao customer service channels

Warehouse manager Fu Yongqing (傅永清) expressed uncertainty: “Will our workstations wait here? Will suppliers sue? Nobody from Romoss answers.” Distribution partners report paused payments exceeding ¥80 million.

Industry Implications

Power bank manufacturers face heightened scrutiny post-Romoss shutdown:

Component sourcing shifting toward Tier 1 suppliers
Export certification demands intensifying for US/Europe channels
Domestic retail compliance costs increasing 25-40%

The Road Ahead for Displaced Workers

Former R&D engineers officially receive exit documents Thursday. Unemployment registrations commenced despite protest slogans plastered inside Romoss offices. As distribution centers shutter across Dongguan factories:

Former personnel can claim Guangdong unemployment benefits after August payroll voids
Labor committees prepare arbitration workshops targeting Romoss industrial entity
E-commerce partners navigate alternative stock sources amid refund spikes

What began with safety recalls culminates in orchard workers clearing desks without severance. The Romoss shutdown manifests how quickly supply chain disruptions unravel enterprise foundations. For others producing mobile accessories: