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The grim truth of Chinese factories producing thewest’s Christmas toys Undercover investigation by China LaborWatch exposes low wages, hazardous chemicals and overtime beyond legal limits Gethin Chamberlain Sun4 Dec 201600.05 GMTLast modified on Sat 2 Dec 201717.54 GMT Shares 7243 Xiao Fang thinks she’s one of the luckier workersmaking Barbie dolls for the Christmas market at the Mattel toy factory inChang’an. True, she says, she works 11-hour days, six days aweek, and shares a dormitory with nine other women and gets to see her husbandonly once a week. She had to leave her three-year-old daughter back home inSichuan. And there is only a communal bathroom, and if they want hot water theymust fetch it from another floor. But at least she has a job, she says. Andothers have it worse. Xiao isone of thousands of workers in Chinese factories making some of this year’smust-have Christmas toys. Aninvestigation with the US-based NGO China Labor Watch reveals that toys including Barbie,Thomas the Tank Engine and Hot Wheels were made by staff earning as little as86p an hour. Overtime can run to nearly threetimes the legal limit. In some factories – including one producing Happy Mealtoys for McDonald’s from the new DreamWorks movie Trolls – that means some are on 12-hourshifts and have to work with hazardous chemicals. Accordingto China LaborWatch, the world of toys may be heaven for children, but it is a world ofmisery for toy factory workers The group’s founder and executivedirector, Li Qiang, said: “We can’t tolerate that children’s dreams are basedon workers’ nightmares, and we must fight against the unfair oppression ofworkers who manufacture toys.” Undercoverinvestigators infiltrated four factories, and the group shared wage slips andpictures with the Observer to support their findings. Theinvestigators said that they found workers making toys in factories supplyingDisney, Mattel, Fisher-Price and McDonald’s who reported having to do more than100 hours of overtime a month – nearly three times the legal limit in China. But thetoy industry’s own watchdog, the ICTI Care Foundation, says it is powerless tostop many Chinese factories breaking the law on overtime. “Thereality is, across the board, most factories, or the vast majority at least,work way beyond legal limits in China, and legal limits are almost universallyignored,” said Mark Robertson, ICTI Care’s director of communications. “Ourposition is, we want transparency. We want to know how many hours are worked inthe factories, so we can make sure workers are paid for every minute that theywork.” Some of this year’s must-havebrands were made in the factories visited by the undercover team. At the FoshanNanhai Diecast Company factory the basic salary for workers was just 86p anhour. Toys photographedinside the factory included Thomas the Tank Engine Minis and Hot WheelsGuardians of the Galaxy, as well as the Cars Piston Cup racing garage and theFisher-Price Learn with Me Zebra Walker. Fisher-Price is owned by Mattel. Workingall available overtime and with all allowances and deductions applied, a workertakes home far less than the average wage in Chinese cities of £715 a month. Anundercover investigator who joined the company as a worker described having towork with isoamyl acetate – commonly know as banana oil – which can soften anddissolve plastics. The investigator worked on a production line and came intodirect contact with the substance, reporting that some workers had complainedto management about the strong odour. Staff alsoclaimed that the company offered prizes for the three most productive workersevery day. The prize was a pack of paper towels. At theChang’an Toy factory, investigators photographed toys from Mattel’s MonsterHigh range of dolls and spoke to workers who said that they made the company’sBarbie dolls. A large pink Barbie banner hangs on the outside of the building. Thefactory employs about 4,200 people, and workers again claimed they worked morethan 100 hours a month overtime at peak periods, starting on a base wage of£1.08 an hour. The basic monthly wage was £188 and the maximum take-home payafter overtime, allowances and deductions was £337. The investigators said that the average workingweek was 68.3 hours. Chinese labour law allows a maximum of only 36 overtimehours a month. A worker averaging 68.3 hours a week would be working an average88 hours of overtime a month – but workers claimed the figure was higher duringpeak production periods over the summer. At theCombine Will factory in Dongguang, which employs about 2,700 people,investigators photographed toys being manufactured for McDonald’s Happy Meals,including Hello Kitty toys and Trolls pencil toppers based on charactersfrom the DreamWorks film. Theinvestigators interviewed workers in the cutting section, who said theysometimes clocked up 100 hours of overtime a month. They also found that theinside of the building could get as hot as 31C. Wages started at £1.08 an hourand some workers say they were expected to work with banana oil and isopropylalcohol, which can cause dizziness and even death in high concentrations. Thebasic wage for a five-day week was £189 a month, with the upper limit oftake-home pay about £337. However, some workers on piece rate were able to earnas much as £482 a month. In theShenzhen Wei Lee Fung Plastic Products Co factory, investigators photographedFisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends toys – including Batman – along withDisney Princess dolls and toys from the Fisher-Price Little People range. The factory employs about 2,000 workers, whoreported that they started on a basic wage of £1.16 an hour and claimed theywere expected to work more than 100 hours of overtime. Aninvestigator joining the company undercover was required to sign a statementpromising to accept any punishment handed out. ChinaLabor Watch’s Li Qiang accused the toy companies of exploiting Chinese workers.He said: “Workers in toy factories face heavy workloads every day, but onlyearn an extremely low wage. They have children as well. “Those whoearn high profits from toys have done so by oppressing the interests ofworkers, and as such their negligence should be subject to public and moralcondemnation.” Aspokesman for McDonald’s said: “As purchasers of toys from Combine Will, wetake these allegations very seriously. We are committed to ensuring fair andethical workplace standards in every corner of our supply chain. “We areworking closely with ICTI Care in its investigation as well as overseeing athorough review of these allegations, and will swiftly and effectively addressany issues that are identified.” A Mattelspokesman said: “Mattel is committed to ensuring every single person making ourtoys and products is treated fairly, with respect and is able to work in a safeand healthy environment. Our labour standards, environmental, health and safetyprogrammes and oversight processes reflect this commitment, and we stand behindour record of ethical labour practices and environmental stewardship. “We aredevoted to ensuring that our manufacturing facilities throughout the world aresafe and ethical places to work, and we reject any suggestion to the contrary.” Disneyreferred requests for comment to ICTI Care. Its director, Mark Robertson, saidthe organisation took the accusations “extremely seriously” and promised a“robust investigation”. He said standards in the industry were improving andthe wellbeing of factory workers was the “core priority”. The ToyRetailers Association said it would work with the industry to tackle the issuesraised by the investigation. A spokesman said: “The Toy Retailers Associationviews the China Labor Watch report with concern, which we know is sharedthroughout the industry. “Ourmembers are conscientious retailers who abide by a code of ethics with regardto where and how they purchase toys, which includes compliance with all UK,European and wider standards.”
