Nexperia China, the local unit of the Dutch chipmaker, has told its employees to follow orders from local management and ignore instructions from the Dutch head office, according to a letter issued to employees over the weekend.
In open revolt against the headquarters in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Nexperia China said in a Chinese-language statement on its official social media channel on Saturday that it was an “independent” Chinese entity and that Nexperia employees in China “should continue to follow instructions from Nexperia China”.
“As for any other external instructions you may have received … you have the right to reject, and your act will not form any breach of work discipline or regulations,” the letter said, making it clear that local Chinese managers would take over operations in China.
The letter – which said it applied to Nexperia China’s packaging plant in the southern city of Dongguan as well as branches in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Wuxi – added that the salaries and wages of Nexperia China employees were paid by the local entity, not the head office in the Netherlands.
The letter represents the latest salvo in a fight for control of the Nexperia business between Dutch authorities and the company’s Chinese owner, Wingtech Technology, which bought Nexperia in 2019.
