An investigation of 13 Shenzhen electronics factories producing components for many well-known brand names found widespread labour abuses.
Incident Tag: Child Labor
BAD CONNECTIONS Print Mobile phone batteries from at least four leading mobile phone producers contain cobalt from DR Congo.
Study shows mobile phone companies use cobalt from DR Congo, running the risk of supporting illegal export and unfair mining practices, which often involves severe human rights abuses.
Child Worker Dies Suddenly at Electronics Factory Producing For ASUS (death)
14-year-old worker (Liu Fuzong) at factory producing motherboards found dead by his co-workers on his dorm bed.
Samsung admits its phones may contain tin from area mined by children
Samsung admits using tin sourced from Bangka Island, where unregulated tin mining depends on child labour, wrecks the environment and kills an estimated 150 miners every year.
China Labor Watch – 20/11/2015
“A contracted toy company producing for McDonald’s employed 400 child workers, who were required to work 16 hours per day and paid 1.5 yuan per hour. The youngest worker was only 14 years old.”
BBC – 18/Dec/2014
Adult and children workers digging “tin ore out by hand in extremely dangerous conditions”. “Miners can be buried alive when the walls of sand or mud collapse”
‘SEA SLAVES’: THE HUMAN MISERY THAT FEEDS PETS AND LIVESTOCK
Slave Labor in Indonesian fishing boats linked to pet consumer products – “those who fled recounted horrific violence: the sick cast overboard, the defiant beheaded, the insubordinate sealed for days below deck in a dark, fetid fishing hold.”
Another Fire in Bangladesh: Seven Women Killed at Smart Fashion, Saturday Jan 26
7 women killed in factory fire, including 3 children.
CBS News goes undercover in a Bangladesh clothing factory
Child labor – workers as young as 12 years old, abusive management, unpaid wages and fire hazards in clothing factory.
Two Years of Broken Promises
Two investigations throughout 2013-2014 find labor violations at factory (20,000 workers) including: excessive overtime nearly 100 hours/month, hazardous waste poured into a nearby river, unsafe working environment. Catcher workers have “suffered skin and eye irritation, and are at risk for more serious health problems” making tablet computers, smartphones and laptops.