The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced the investigation results on labor issues in four licensees.
In June this year, after FairPlay 2008 released a report on alleged labor abuses in four licensees, BOCOG attached great importance to the issue and immediately requested that the four companies provide detailed information and explanations on the situation.
Relevant labor administrative departments at national and provincial levels also responded quickly. Local municipal authorities in Dongguan and Shenzhen formed a special team to conduct comprehensive investigations from June 12th to 18th and delivered an extensive report on the issue. From the end of June till the beginning of July, investigation teams from Guangdong Labor and Social Security Bureau, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and BOCOG further reviewed the results of the investigation reports and have now concluded the investigation.
The report shows that from January to February, 2007, Le Kit Stationery Co. Ltd (Dongguan), was believed to have used child labor by employing 8 students for packaging work, which was not related to Olympic products. In addition, labor contracts were not signed with some of its workers. BOCOG has decided to terminate Le Kit Stationery Co.'s right to manufacture and sell Olympic licensed products and revoked its licensing contract with the company.
Besides, Eagle Leather Products (Dongguan), Yue Wing Cheong Light Products (Shenzhen) and Mainland Headwear Holdings Ltd., (Shenzhen) had overtime issues, but no child labor issues were discovered. BOCOG has decided to suspend approval of all Olympic products designing of the three licensees, and requested they rectify their production and business operations in accordance with local labor bureaus' requirements immediately.
BOCOG restated it attaches great importance to working conditions and corporate social responsibility issues in licensees' companies. BOCOG will, in line with its licensing agreement, seriously deal with any licensees who have violated national labor laws and regulations.
(BOCOG July 31, 2007)
