Workers at a factory in Shenzhen making toys for the Walt Disney
Company have lodged a complaint with the city's labor department,
claiming they are being paid below the minimum wage and are
overworked.
More than 70 workers at Jin Da company made the accusation of
sweatshop conditions on Monday at the labor station of the Nanwan
sub-district office in Longgang District, where the factory is
located.
The workers were also worried about losing their jobs after the
factory relocates to neighboring Dongguan, a public relations
officer at the office surnamed Zhang said.
"Our law enforcement team has gone to the factory to understand
the situation from the perspective of workers and management. We
will try to mediate and help them reach an agreement," she
said.
Referring to the workers' accusations, Zhang said if there were
violations of the Labor Law, the management will be asked to
rectify the problem and will be punished.
The situation arose after more than 700 employees were asked in
May to sign short-term contracts, which did not specify working
hours or salary, the Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao newspaper
said.
The alternative was "taking a vacation", according to the
paper.
The factory closed some workshops this month and asked workers
to accept 180 yuan a month and take a break from work, the paper
said.
Workers speculated this was an underhand way for management to
reduce severance wages when it relocated at the end of this year
and took their grievances to the authorities
Zhang, however, said a preliminary investigation found the
factory was not intending to move the whole plant to Dongguan.
"Management should strengthen communication with workers. But we
cannot make any further conclusions before the investigation ends,"
she said.
Disney has been accused of running sweatshops following
investigations by the Hong Kong-based organization, Students and
Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior.
Walt Disney Company (Asia Pacific) Ltd spokesperson Alannah Goss
said the company and its affiliates took claims of unfair labor
practices very seriously and will investigate any such allegations
thoroughly.
"We have a long-standing and firm commitment to the safety and
well-being of workers, and fair and just labor standards," Goss
said.
(China Daily September 14, 2007)