Solidarity newspaper


 

Search Workers' Liberty sites using Scroogle


User login

Navigation

More than 1,000 Chinese workers riot at factory producing toys for McDonald's

Sweatshops

Over 1,000 Chinese workers rioted over poor working conditions at a factory which produces toys for McDonald's, according to the US labour rights group, China Labor Watch (CLW).

According to a China Labour Bulletin report, the incident began on 22 July when workers at the Hengli Factory in Dongguan City protested over meagre wages, the lack of public holidays and poor living conditions. The protest began in the workers' dormitories and evolved into a riot that stretched into Sunday, with more than 1,000 workers joining in.

It took more than 100 regular local policemen and those from the riot squads as well as factory guards to control the situation. Many people were injured and dozens of workers were arrested.

Workers at the factory, owned by the Hong Kong-based Merton Co Ltd typically work 11 hours a day, six days a week, and rack up to 70 hours of overtime a month.

The factory deducts salary if workers refuse to work overtime and does not pay workers for taking national holidays, vacation days or sick leave, according to the group. Overtime is not paid at the rate of 1.5 times the regular rate as required by the law. There is no base salary for workers, who are paid on a piece rate basis. Salaries range between 600 and 800 yuan (US$75 and US$100) per month. Workers must pay 250 yuan for food and accommodation each month, and complained that the factory's meals were poor. Merton also failed to provide workers with adequate medical insurance or pensions.

Half of Merton’s products were manufactured for McDonald’s. The factory makes toys for McDonald's restaurants, not just in Hong Kong, but also in other countries. According to Merton's website, the factory employs 10,000 workers producing plastic toys. The company manufactures toys and give-away gift items for U.S. companies McDonald's, Disney, Mattel, Warner and DC Comics.


Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

烂纸箱馅的包子彰显民众的贫困化Cardboard-stuffed b

中国的食品质量监督单位的一项全国范围的调查发现,很多产品受到污染,如
婴幼儿配方乳粉、大米、面粉、肉类、饼干、 海鲜、酱油、糖果等有毒食品。

温家宝不得不努力改善,以面对日益增长的对中国出口的食品药品的国际关注。但是否行得通呢? 没有人可以说,所有中国制造的产品是坏的,还是好的。它取决于企业的老板。由于官僚腐败和疏忽,雄心勃勃的 老板能放眼长远的成就,而投机取巧的人会玩火。

此外,中国的利润系统在崩溃,因为他们享有少的不合理的的利润率。“竞相杀价”的竞争使在中国 工厂疯了!

至于烂纸箱馅的包子,就更难管。经济围绕权贵运转,导致农村、内地的凋敝,大量农民聚集在大城市郊区,北京 就有几百万吧。到城乡交接部看看,有大量破出租房,污水横流,垃圾满地。流动人口干各种活,多不过勉强为生 。

正规的早点,比如某台湾品牌店的,价格高许多。早点摊,利润很低,多是贫困的流动人口早上的工作。没有培训 、缺少监管、艰难维持,一些人耍猾,如何避免?

A nationwide investigation by China's food quality watchdog found products such as baby milk powder, rice, flour, meat, biscuits, seafood, soy sauce and sweets had been contaminated.

Wen has to do it , responding to growing international concerns. But it will work? Nobody can say that all products made in China are bad,or good. It depends on the boss of the manufacture since the bureaucrats are corrupt and neglectful. An ambitious boss will look forward to long-term achievements, while an opportunistic one will play with fire.

Furthermore, the profit system collapses in China as they are enjoying steep profit margins. A "race to the bottom" competition drives factories in China mad!

it is more difficult to supervise. Economic oriented to the bigwigs,results in depression in rural areas and hinterlands. A large number of peasants gathere at the outskirts of large cities, Beijing has millions. Go to the outskirts ,you can see many hoked-up rented rooms, open sewers and garbage all over the floor. The displaced persons do anything they can ,but barely survive.

Not bad breakfast,such as a taiwan food chain's ,are much more expensive. Small Breakfast purveyors ,mostly poor floating persons ,get very low profits ,from their work in the morning. Whithout training, lacking of supervision, gloomily maintaining, some people playing sly, it is inevitable?