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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Sweatshop Abuses in Disney Supply Factories, HK Labour Rights Group Exposes



>X-Sender: perg@pop.web.ca
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>Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 09:51:10 -0500
>To: (Recipient list suppressed)
>From: perg <perg@web.ca>
>Subject: Sweatshop Abuses in Disney Supply Factories, HK Labour Rights
>   Group Exposes
>
>Date: December 5, 2000
>From: Maquila Solidarity Network
>Re: Disney Press Release
>
>Dear Members and Friends of the Maquila Solidarity Network,
>
>Yesterday the MSN sent out a press release announcing a new report by the 
>Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee (CIC).  The report documents 
>sweatshop abuses in Chinese factories producing Disney-brand products for 
>the holiday season market.  Working conditions in the toy industry, along 
>with the results of this report, will be highlighted on the CBC television 
>program Marketplace, tonight, Tuesday December 5th, between 
>8:00-8:30pm.  We invite you all to tune in.
>
>A summary of the CIC report is available on our website at: 
>www.maquilasolidarity.org
>
>*********************************************
>December 4, 2000
>
>For Immediate Release:
>
>Report Exposes Sweatshop Abuses in Disney's Chinese Supply Factories
>Disney Code of Conduct Ineffective, Says Hong Kong Human Rights Group
>
>A preliminary report released on December 1 by the Hong Kong Christian 
>Industrial Committee (CIC) exposes sweatshop labour practices in 12 
>Chinese factories producing Disney-brand toys, clothes and accessories for 
>sale in North America and Europe for the holiday season. The results of 
>the report will be highlighted on the December 5 edition of the CBC 
>television program Marketplace. The final report will be released in February.
>
>The CIC report alleges that Chinese workers making Disney-brand products 
>for the North American holiday season market were forced to work up to 16 
>hours a day, seven days a week for as little as Can$90 a month. In at 
>least two factories, workers were pressured to work overnight to meet 
>holiday order deadlines. At least one factory was manufacturing Disney 
>products for export to Canada.
>
>According to CIC, young women making Disney products complain of hazardous 
>working conditions, bad food and overcrowded dormitories. In one factory, 
>21-24 workers were crowded into single dorm rooms, sleeping on 
>triple-decker bunk beds. Workers interviewed also complain of being fined 
>for talking at work, for not wearing the factory ID properly, and for 
>forgetting to turn off lights in their factory dormitory rooms.
>
>"Disney claims that its workplace code of conduct and its so-called 
>'independent' monitoring system are eliminating sweatshop abuses in its 
>overseas contract factories," says Alice Kwan of CIC, "but most workers 
>interviewed knew nothing about the code or Chinese labour law. Those 
>workers who do know about the code were often coerced into signing 
>falsified records or instructed on how to answer the monitors' questions 
>'properly' according to management-prepared scripts."
>
>Based on its findings, the CIC seriously questions the effectiveness of 
>Disney's workplace Code of Conduct and monitoring system. It calls on 
>Disney to promote worker rights education at the workplace and the active 
>involvement of workers in on-going monitoring of management compliance 
>with Chinese law and the Disney Code.
>
>- 30 -
>
>For further information, including a summary of the CIC report, or to 
>arrange an interview with May Wong of the Hong Kong-based Toy Coalition 
>(in Canada December 4-7), contact:
>
>Ian Thomson, Maquila Solidarity Network: (416) 532-8584, 
>info@maquilasolidarity.org
>
>
>
>**************************************************************
>Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) / Ethical Trading Action Group (ETAG)
>606 Shaw Street, Toronto Ontario M6G 3L6
>CANADA
>
>Tel: 416-532-8584 / Fax: 416-532-7688
>Web: www.maquilasolidarity.org
>

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