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: More info box).

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 to discuss the Haowei workers' demands with Disney’s Regional Director of International Labor Standards on September 13 came to nothing.

Since then, SACOM has exposed multiple labour violations at two other Disney suppliers, Tianyu and Yonglida Toys, owned by the same company. SACOM reports that wages have been withheld, overtime has been unpaid, working hours are excessive and living conditions in the dormitories are poor. In addition, Tianyu management has falsified contracts and concealed labour violations from social auditors. Disney has thus far refused to talk to SACOM about conditions at Tianyu.

SACOM and the Clean Clothes Campaign call on Disney to disclose its list of Chinese suppliers and ensure that they comply with local labor laws. Disney should also provide a Chinese translation of its Code of Conduct to workers at all of its Chinese suppliers. Furthermore, it should promote workplace democracy throughout its supply chain by respecting workers' right to create mechanisms of worker representation.

For the full report on Tianyu: http://www.sacom.hk/html/uploads/Tianyu%20Toys%20DISNEY%20Oct2007%20SACOM.pdf). For the full report on Yonglida:
http://www.sacom.hk/html/uploads/Yonglida%20Toys%20DISNEY%20Nov2007.pdf

UPDATE! Sit-in strike ends at Haowei Toys

The sit-in strike at Disney supplier Haowei Toys has ended, but the campaign to improve working conditions at other Disney factories continues. To learn more, go to http://www.oneworld.at/cck/start.asp, http://www.vetementspropres.be/, http://www.cleanclothes.ch/, and http://www.sacom.hk/html/

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