Workers forced to work 15 to 19.5 hours a day, seven days/week making plastic toys for 43 cents an hour. Repetitive work – one operation every three seconds – leaves them with blistered and bleeding hands and fingers.
Incident Tag: Unpaid Overtime
Overtime numeration/hour should be higher than base wage hours.
Investigations Find That Samsung Is Far From Goal of Model Labor Treatment (chitwing)
Egregious violations at factory (5.000 workers) manufacturing cell phone covers: workers consistently working over 220 hours of overtime for the past few months (six times the 36 hour overtime legal limit); minimum daily factory stay is 12 hours; 14-15 hour work days; some work for 16 hours/day; base salary (1100 RMB -$176); workers dependent on overtime to make a living-wage; 200 student workers in the summer.
Toys of Misery 2004: A Joint Report by National Labor Committee and China Labor Watch
Workers making plastic toys on 18-20.5 hour shifts; mandatory 7 day workweeks; 30 days a month; pay below minimum wage; 16 ½ cents an hour on average; organizing a union is strictly prohibited; 20 people share one dorm room.
Shenzhen Workers Strike Again
1,000 workers go on strike to protest loss of seniority, low wages ($228 for new workers), withhold of worker overtime salaries and other grievances.
AT&T and NEC Contract with Sweatshop Operators
12,5 – 13 hour shifts during low season. 14,5 – 15 hour shifts during high season. Seven days/week. Workers under-paid, over-worked and inhumanely treated.
Nike, Adidas, Reebok and New Balance Made in China
Workers kept in factory for 12,5 hours, work intensity and low wages drive people to illness, death and suicide. Female worker turned ill in November 1999. She was denied sick leave 3 times, and was found dead in the restroom. Since 1994, 14 workers have committed suicide.
1,000 Workers Strike at Factory That Makes Keyboards for Apple and IBM
1,000 workers stage strike at factory (~3,000 employees) producing keyboards, owing to unreasonable overtime demands (17-19 hours overall factory stay), worker abuse and bullying by managers, among other grievances.
Workers at Shenzhen Top Form Underwear Co., Limited Go on Strike
More than 400 workers strike at Shenzhen factory, protesting unfair piece-rate wage system and workers’ unachievable daily production quotas. Employees work approximately 300 hours/month (busy season), and earn 2.000 RMB per month ($314 USD).
Xin Qiao Electronics
16.5 hours work a day during peak seasons for workers, all standing, 30 days/month. 15.5 hours of work under normal conditions. Extremely low wages. Heavy workload. Humiliating and abusive management.
Tragedies of Globalization: The Truth Behind Electronics Sweatshops
Very low wages. If production quota is not met workers must work unpaid additional overtime. Excessive workhours – 12hours/day. During peak season, there are only 1 to 2 days of rest each month. Talking is strictly forbidden. If managers discover mistakes, they verbally abuse workers. In certain departments, workers must stand for their entire shift. Evening shift workers show exhaustion and significant health deterioration.