Workers demand rights at Disney toy factory

Over 300 workers of the Haowei Toys factory in Shenzhen, China,
producing plastic toys for Disney, have been protesting day and night
against the violation of their labour rights. Since Monday September 10,
2007, the workers join a sit-in in front of the local labour office.
Recently the factory decided to relocate to Jiaoyitang Village in
Dongguan. Labour rights violations reported by the Students and Scholars
against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) include excessive overtime,
under-payment or non-payment of overtime, forced signing of blank
contracts, withholding pension and social insurance payments, exposure
to dangerous toxins and unhealthy dormitory conditions (See:
http://www.sacom.hk/html/uploads/HaoweiToysDISNEY(Sep2007)SACOM.pdf).

On September 12, 2007, SACOM student and labour activists protested
outside Hong Kong Disneyland on the second anniversary of the theme
park’s opening in support of the Haowei workers. A meeting with Disney’s
Regional Director of International Labor Standards on September 13 came
to nothing. More pressure on Disney is therefore urgently needed.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1) SACOM calls upon labour rights organisations and activists to write
to Disney and tell them to follow upon the Haowei workers’ demands.

In their letter of complaint Haowei workers emphasize 4 main points:

* Haowei has forced workers to sign one-sided ‘contracts’
in which wages, work hours and benefits were left blank. Resisting
managerial abuse, some workers have revoked the contracts with immediate
effect in accordance with Article 23(3) of the Shenzhen Regulations on
Labor Conditions. According to Article 28(2) of the Regulations, Haowei
should pay economic compensation that takes into account the worker’s
seniority. For example, a worker who has been employed for a year should
be compensated one month’s income. A month’s income is based on the
average of the three months’ income prior to the termination of the
labor contract.

* Overtime has not or not fully been paid by Haowei. Haowei management
should immediately pay the workers basic and overtime wages in arrears
plus an economic compensation of 25% of the outstanding amount.

* Haowei should provide pension and social insurance that are owed to
the workers.

* Haowei is obliged to re-employ the affected workers who choose to move
to Dongguan. Their work seniority - most of them have been serving
Haowei for more than 5 years - must be taken into account in their
contracts and benefits.

Letters can be sent to:
- Mark Spears (Director, International Labor Standards)
mark.spears@disney.com
- Jim Leung(Regional Director, International Labor Standards, Asia
Pacific) jim.leung@disney.com
- Gina Lee (Compliance Manager, International Labor Standards,
Asia Pacific) gina.lee@disney.com
- Alannah Goss (Regional Executive Director, Corporate
communications, Asia Pacific) alannah.goss@disney.com

2) Sign a petition to call upon Disney to put an end to labour rights
violations at their Chinese suppliers. Go to:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/wlchan/petition.html

For more information, also see:
http://www.sacom.hk/html/modules/news/article.php?storyid=25

From Clean Clothes Campaign