Labour Troubles for Disney in China

[PirateLover]

From AFP Worldwide news agency:

Workers at a Chinese factory making Disney toys are overworked, underpaid, exposed to dangerous toxins and forced to live in filthy conditions, a labour rights group said in a report Wednesday.

The study, released on the second anniversary of the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, said factory workers complained they were forced to work 28 days a month and up to 15 hours a day.

Staff at Haowei Toys in southern China also are not allowed to take time off during peak seasons, according to the report released by the Hong Kong-based Students and Scholars against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM).

"The conditions at Haowei reflect the failure of the Disney system to monitor and respond effectively to violations of the Disney code of conduct and the workers' rights the code professes to defend," the report said.

About a dozen activists staged a protest outside the theme park, waving a banner that read "No Disney Sweatshop Toys" and urging the US entertainment giant to improve working conditions.

Staff are paid 2.5 yuan (32 US cents) per hour, 62.5 percent of the legal minimum wage of 4.02 yuan, while overtime premiums are also below the minimum required by law, said the report compiled from interviews with 35 employees.

The study charges that managers fine workers five yuan for toilet breaks that exceed five minutes and 10 yuan for refusing to do overtime work.

The report also said workers in the paint spraying and pad printing departments complained that they were sometimes breathing in chemical and paint fumes for hours due to poor ventilation, exposing them to health risks.

The employees are not given insurance against work injuries, nor are they granted pensions, the study said.

The report includes pictures of filthy communal toilets in the staff dormitory, saying pipes are often blocked, causing waste to spill out.

Walt Disney said it takes "claims of unfair labour practices very seriously, and (will) investigate any such allegations thoroughly".

It admitted its own investigation had revealed violations at the Haowei factory, adding that action would be taken to rectify the problem.

"Disney is currently working on a factory remediation plan with the licensee who has placed orders with this factory," it said in a statement.

Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened on September 12, 2005, is struggling to attract visitors. The park would not disclose attendance numbers and would only say it has been given consistently high guest satisfaction ratings.

[Jasper]

While it doesn't let Disney off the hook entirely, it is going to be VERY difficult for Disney or any other company to do much about these or any other issues with China until the United States rescinds the “most favored nation” status that was issued to China during the Clinton administration.

Administrations had resisted giving China this special trade status until Wal-Mart put the full court press onto the Clinton administration back in the ‘90s. Under this special trading status the United States basically says that the country it refers to is capable and willing to police such issues themselves. Of course, as we have seen all too often lately this is simply not true with China.

What would actually get the White House and Congress to actually do something about this issue is for American consumers to put a total boycott on Chinese products. Unfortunately, our desire for cheap consumer goods is so strong that I seriously doubt we will have the will to do this. So in the end, while it is certainly appropriate to blast China and the Disney company about issues such as this we also have to look at ourselves for allowing this to continue.

[lockedoutlogic]

Disney's made in China toys are made in sweatshops?

I'm shocked.....

[TheRustyScupper]

1) But, it is not Disney's fault.
2) They farm the work out to subcontractors.
3) The subs are supposed to pay high wages, with safe workplaces.
4) We all know subs are responsible and upright.
5) So, Disney doesn't have to verify or check on it.

[The Bookseller]

Here's a thing we need to understand here: all the big corporations and retailers out there are importing stuff from China. From Walmart to big electronic brands like Canon and Sony, they are importing from China.

With a communist regime, can we expect anything more? We are importing tons of various cheap good from them. If we had to be concerned about Sweatshops, we would had stopped buying their products a long time ago.

Once again we are in front of a "Disney Bashing" article without much merit. Why not blaming the whole occident to let China slip out of human right violation in exchange of cheap goods?