When people buy toys in shopping malls and when kids happily unwrap their presents on Christmas Day, little do they think about the people who make these toys.
This is exactly what the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights (IGLHR) did. It recently came up with an investigative report called "Dirty Toys Made in China," and the findings its investigators uncovered were shocking.
According to the report, the Dongguan Zhenyang Wanju Limited toy factory in China has over 1,800 workers, majority of whom are less than 16 years old. They work in near freezing conditions and only earn a measly $1.36 an hour.
The factory produces Christmas toys, dolls and baby toys for Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, and other well-known companies in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.
Aside from their low pay, the factory workers are forbidden to move from their work areas. They aren't even allowed to take a break to get a drink of water. And because they work in a factory where there are high noise levels, many long-time employees are suffering from hearing loss.
Much is expected from the workers, with 36 workers required to produce 11,000 toy cars in a day. One worker shared that she has to make 2,400 Disney doll legs in a day. "You can't take your eyes off it for a second," she said.
If the hearing loss problem seems bad enough, those who are exposed to the chemical fumes in paint and printing work rooms have it worse. These workers are constantly inhaling industrial alcohol, phenylenediamine, and sodium peroxide because the company refuses to give the workers air filter masks; hence, they constantly feel nauseous and dizzy.
After 12 hours of hard labour, it would seem like the workers will finally catch a break. However, even their sleeping quarters are not acceptable since they are only provided with narrow and bare wooden bunk beds in crowded rooms.
The IGLHR is demanding that people do something about the plight of these workers by informing the companies that use their services about their horrendous working conditions.
IGLHR Director Charles Kernaghan said, "Powerhouses like Disney, Hasbro and Mattel surely have the leverage to negotiate modest improvements for the 1,800 workers at Zhenyang. It is long overdue that Disney, Hasbro and Mattel take real steps to improve conditions for their Chinese workers. This is not too much to ask!"
