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  Labour issues: General - Nov.-Dec. 2001  

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Nov.-Dec. 2001:

Eighteen killed in China mine blast: An explosion triggered by a gas build-up tore through a coal mine in China's eastern Jiangxi province at the weekend, killing 18 miners in the latest in a series of deadly accidents...The coal mine explosion was the second disaster to strike Jiangxi province on Sunday, following a string of blasts at a fireworks factory in the morning that killed nine and injured 60. (Reuters, 31 Dec. 2001)

ChevronTexaco operations in Kazakstan model destructive potential of oil exploitation: Production at Kazakhstan’s biggest oil field run by a ChevronTexaco led consortium has created a 35-foot-tall (11 meter) slab of yellow sulfur next to the field's pipelines and storage tanks impacting the health of workers and people living near the operation. (Project Underground, Drillbits & Tailings, 30 Dec. 2001)

China said to detain reporter for covering strike: Chinese police have detained a freelance Chinese journalist investigating a workers' strike [at the Huai Nan Textile Factory] over a cut in their wages (Reuters, 28 Dec. 2001)

Cute toy rabbits belie ordeal of Chinese labour camps - Imprisoned for her beliefs and forced to make toys for a multinational company:...stamped indelibly on her brain are the faces of 100,000 long-eared, buck-toothed toy rabbits, bearing the Nestlé brand...Ms Zeng and about 130 other prisoners were forced to begin work each day at 5.30am and continue until early the next day, seven days a week...According to Nestlé's head office, however, there is no evidence linking forced labour with Nestlé's business dealings in China. (Kelly Burke, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 Dec. 2001)

U.S. Drops Rule On Contractors: Lawbreakers Won't Be Barred - The Bush administration repealed a rule this week that would have allowed government agencies to refuse federal contracts to companies that do not comply with labor, environmental and consumer-protection laws. (Neil Irwin, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2001)

AFL-CIO Vigorously Opposes the Bush Administration's Elimination of Contractor Responsibility Rules: It is an outrage for the Bush Administration to revoke the contractor responsibility rules designed to protect the public and the government from corporate contractors that do not respect labor, civil rights, and environmental laws and consumer protections. (AFL-CIO, 27 Dec. 2001)

China shuts down Shenzhen labour lawyer's practice: China's southern boomtown of Shenzhen has shut down the practice of a lawyer renowned for defending and housing victims of work-related accidents, the lawyer said on Thursday. (Jonathan Ansfield, Reuters, 27 Dec. 2001) 

Coal mine blast reported kills 16 in eastern China:...The blast in the eastern province of Shandong was the latest in series of grim accidents in China's mining industry that have killed more than 5,000 people so far this year. (Reuters, 27 Dec. 2001)

Shift work link to heart disease: A study in Antarctica has supported theories that night shift workers are at increased risk of developing heart disease. (BBC News, 27 Dec. 2001)

Woman appeals in China's first harassment case: A woman who lost a court ruling in China's first sexual harassment case has filed an appeal, pledging to "carry the case to the end", the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. (Reuters, 26 Dec. 2001)

STUC [Scottish Trades Union Congress] accuses bosses over stress: Union chiefs have accused employers of exploiting weaknesses in the law to avoid introducing measures to combat stress in the workplace. (BBC News, 26 Dec. 2001)

Debate Over 'Fair Labor' Tag Spills Into Toy Aisles:...The toy aisle is the new battleground for advocates for Third World workers [refers to abuses in China, and to the following companies: Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Mattel] (Nancy Cleeland, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2001)

Colombia: an appalling death toll - with no sign of improvement - Nearly 160 trade unionists murdered since the beginning of the year (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 21 Dec. 2001)

Summer Of Carnage on Building Sites [Australia]: Six major accidents -including two fatalities, have occurred on Sydney construction sites so far this summer. (Anita Ceravolo, Workers Online [Australia], 21 Dec. 2001)

Ken & Barbie's Sweatshop: Stop. If that irresistible playthingy you're buying junior for Christmas has a "made in China" label -- or a label from any other country in Asia -- chances are it came from a sweatshop specializing in child labour [includes statements by Mattel, Disney, Irwin, Hasbro] (Now News [Canada], 20 Dec. 2001)

Firms pressured over equal pay [UK]: A UK trade union is attempting to force Rolls Royce, BAE Systems and other leading employers [a total of 10,000 businesses] to reveal whether or not they offer equal rates of pay to men and women. (BBC News, 20 Dec. 2001)

Northrop to Settle Unfair Labor Cases [USA]: Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. on Thursday said it would settle unfair labor practice cases involving its Avondale operation, reinstating a group of workers the National Labor Relations Board says were fired or badly treated due to union activity. (Reuters, 20 Dec. 2001)

The Sins Of Saint-Gobain - Firm's US antics sully image: Saint-Gobain is no saint in America, French trade unions say. American and French unions accuse the Paris-based multinational of "unlawful threats and retaliation against union supporters" in the USA. Saint-Gobain is one of the world's leading glass, ceramics and materials firms (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions [ICEM], 20 Dec. 2001)

Bosses may be forced to protect workers [Australia]: Employers will be responsible for protecting their staff from violent clients and customers under a draft code released for public comment by WorkSafe Victoria yesterday. (Meaghan Shaw, The Age [Australia], 20 Dec. 2001)

VW [Volkswagen] workers help Puebla [Mexico] street children:...The donations are used to support street children projects, primarily in regions with VW sites, and the organisation "Terre des Hommes" advises on, looks after and carries out the projects, which run over a relatively long time span and require more than just one-time support. (International Metalworkers' Federation, 19 Dec. 2001)

Workers Sue Philips Lighting [USA]: Hundreds of former light bulb factory workers who say they were exposed to mercury, arsenic and other toxic chemicals sued Philips Lighting Co. and several other companies Tuesday...The previous owners - Westinghouse Electric Corp., which opened the factory in 1941, and its successor, Viacom Inc. - are named as co-defendants, along with West Virginia chemical suppliers Chem Quick, Par Chem, Blue Ribbon Paint Co. and Charleston Valve and Fitting Co. (Vicki Smith, Associated Press, 18 Dec. 2001)

Internationally-Recognised Core Labour Standards In Uganda (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 18 Dec. 2001)

Patrick Stevedores fined $100,000 over work safety [Australia]: Patrick Stevedores was convicted and fined $100,000 in the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday over work safety breaches...The stevedoring company, which provides labour for loading and unloading ships, pleaded guilty last Friday to failure to provide a safe plant and equipment. (Andra Jackson, The Age [Australia], 18 Dec. 2001)

Migrants: ICFTU calls on Member States to ratify the conventions that protect their rights (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 17 Dec. 2001)

Workers' Safety Must Be The Top Priority: Cosatu [South Africa] - The Congress of SA Trade Unions said on Sunday that the safety of workers should be top priority. Reacting to an underground earthquake at the Deelkraal gold mine near Carletonville in which at least three people died, Cosatu said it would recommit itself to a campaign to improve the safety at work. (South African Press Association, 16 Dec. 2001)

Exploitation of Workers Rife in Eastern Cape [South Africa]: The exploitation of workers is rife in the Eastern Cape, especially in the security and textile industries said provincial Labour Department deputy director of inspections and enforcements Mlungisi Matiwane yesterday...He said: "It is especially the small businesses where workers are vulnerable that are guilty of disregarding labour laws and discriminating against workers." (Dumile Meintjies, East Cape News [South Africa], 14 Dec. 2001) 

Blow to asbestos claimants: Britain's Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday that people suffering from asbestos-related diseases will not receive compensation if they were exposed to the mineral fibres by more than one employer. But the ruling does not affect the claims by South Africans against Cape PLC. (News24.com [South Africa], 13 Dec. 2001)

Gold Fields, unions in watershed Aids deal [South Africa]: A landmark agreement aimed at curbing the spread of HIV/Aids in the mining industry was signed yesterday by Gold Fields, the country's second-largest gold producer, and three unions (Sherilee Bridge, Business Report [South Africa], 13 Dec. 2001)

Tomato Pickers Boycott Taco Bell for Higher Wages [USA]: Borrowing a tactic from anti-sweatshop campaigns, tomato pickers seek a sustainable living wage by appealing to Taco Bell, the primary purchaser of the tomatoes they pick. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 12 Dec. 2001)

Bakoru Warns On Trade Unions [Uganda]: Gender, labour and social affairs minister Zoe Bakoko Bakoru has warned employers who do not recognise the trade union movement. She said the government will be harsh on them..."Being in a trade union is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 40 of the Constitution, and employers should not think that it is a mere privilege," Bakoru said. (Richard Mutumba, New Vision [Uganda], 12 Dec. 2001)

Yokohama: unions battle against sexual exploitation of children (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 12 Dec. 2001)

Support where it matters [Burma]:...The lobby group claims that Triumph International [lingerie manufacturer] is supporting the brutal regime in Burma by paying rent for the plant direct to the military junta, responsible for Burma’s appalling record of human rights abuses and slave labour. They state that workers at the Triumph factory north of Rangoon are paid 70p a day, a level described as an "extreme poverty wage" by the United Nations. (The Scotsman [UK], 12 Dec. 2001)

Rio Tinto calls for Blair Athol ruling to be overturned [Australia]: Mining giant Rio Tinto is attempting to overturn a decision that it reinstate 16 retrenched workers at its Blair Athol mine in central Queensland. The company is appealing against a decision of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) in April this year that the workers were unfairly selected for dismissal because of their union membership. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 Dec. 2001)

Unions call for gov time frame on smoke bans [Australia]: Melbourne's Crown Casino staff will consider industrial action tomorrow if the Victorian government does not guarantee a ban on smoking in all gaming areas by July next year..."They're playing with the health and lives of young workers"..."In no other area have governments, especially the Victorian government, been as lax about workplace health and safety." (AAP, 12 Dec. 2001) 

Sexual exploitation of children: trade unions take action (Samuel Grumiau, Trade Union World, 11 Dec. 2001)

EU [European Union] unveils new law to deter industrial accidents: The law includes measures aimed at improving safety measures for so-called "tailings ponds," which are used to store highly polluted water from mining activities. (Reuters, 11 Dec. 2001)

Korean Govt to Ratify 4 More ILO Conventions Within Year: The South Korean government will ratify within the year four more International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions, covering a minimum wage system, job security offices, protection of union leaders and a minimum wage in a developing country. (Asia Pulse, 11 Dec. 2001)

International Human Rights Day:...The most dangerous country of all for trade unionists however is Colombia...Elsewhere in the world, trade unionists are also facing death or imprisonment and harassment, notably in Guatemala, where death threats are on the increase, South Korea, where strikers are systematically imprisoned, Indonesia, where union activity is regularly repressed, or China, where those who try to collectively organise are sent to psychiatric hospitals or forced labour camps and Zimbabwe where intimidation is mounting in an increasingly tense situation. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 10 Dec. 2001)

Trench deaths 'unacceptable' [South Africa]: The employer of two construction workers who died when a trench in Akasia, north of Pretoria, collapsed on Sunday, could face culpable homicide charges, Labour Department director-general Rams Ramashia said on Monday. (News24 [South Africa], 10 Dec. 2001)

Orange County [California] Settles Suit by Jailed Strikers - Dispute: Supervisors pay $280,000 to end legal saga involving the 1992 detention of 153 drywallers. (Jack Leonard & David Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2001)

Garment worker tells U.S. Congress of beatings, abuse in American Samoa: A former garment worker at Daewoosa Samoa in American Samoa has testified before a U.S. Congressional panel about alleged slave conditions and sexual abuse. The congressional panel was reviewing the implementation of the 2000 law to curb human trafficking and servitude in the U.S. Daewoosa Samoa owner Kil-Soo Lee, jailed in Honolulu, is facing federal charges under this law. (Fili Sagapolutele, Samoa News/Pacific Islands Report, 9 Dec. 2001)

Sweatshops threaten to relocate [South Africa]: The owners of 20 Newcastle textile factories are threatening to abandon up to 8 000 workers and relocate to Lesotho after being ordered to pay minimum wages and to eliminate dangerous working conditions. (Frank Nxumalo, Business Report [South Africa], 9 Dec. 2001)

Letter from Thai Labour Campaign to Almond's Customers Announcing the Resolution of the Dispute:...The agreement provides for the company's recognition of Almond Labour Union and acceptance of the union's right to collective bargaining. (Thai Labour Campaign, 8 Dec. 2001)

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney's Demand for the Release of Burmese Human Rights Advocate Aung San Suu Kyi to Be Linked by Satellite to Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo (AFL-CIO, 8 Dec. 2001)

Colombian Admits Killing Unionist: A right-wing paramilitary militia on Saturday accused a slain union leader in Colombia of being a rebel commander and accepted responsibility for his killing. The body of Aury Sara, a regional leader of a militant oil workers union, and his bodyguard were found Wednesday (AP, 8 Dec. 2001)

Maquila Melée: Death threats and plant closings threaten workers rights in Guatemala - Just days after a year-long organizing campaign went public at two textile factories outside Guatemala City in July, union supporters were violently attacked and injured at work by a mob wielding rocks, bottles and other makeshift weapons in an assault that lasted for hours. (Tula Connell, editor of the AFL-CIO magazine America@Work, in In These Times, 7 Dec. 2001)

Representative Miller [U.S. Congressman George Miller] Urges Companies, Consumers To Switch To Fair Trade Certified Coffee:...Miller also just signed a letter from members of Congress to major coffee roasters and buyers to encourage them to incorporate sustainable coffees into their product lines. (Office of Congressman George Miller, 7 Dec. 2001)

Steelworkers demand public inquiry into fatal explosion at Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting [Canada]: Following last week’s guilty plea by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co., Limited (HBM&S) to keeping an unsafe workplace, the United Steelworkers is asking Premier Doer to order a public inquiry into the furnace explosion that killed Steve Ewing and injured 13 others workers on Aug. 8, 2000. (United Steelworkers [Canada], 7 Dec. 2001)

Business in Africa should respond to Aids by fighting it at the workplace (International Chamber of Commerce, 6 Dec. 2001)

Twenty National Groups Seek Congressional Investigation of Effort by OMB, Industry Groups to Weaken Regulations [USA]: Environmental, Labor, Others Send Letter to Lieberman Requesting Investigation - A broad coalition of 20 organizations today sent a letter to Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman asking him and his committee to investigate whether high ranking officials at the Office of Management and Budget worked with industry lobbyists to develop a plan to weaken important federal regulations [environmental, public health and safety, and labor rights protections]. (Earthjustice, 6 Dec. 2001)

Ford Releases Nazi Labor Report Ford: Study of German Subsidiary in World War II Shows Company Didn't Profit From Slave Labor - The 144-page report commissioned by Ford said the company lost communication with and operational control over Ford-Werke AG after the Nazi government seized the subsidiary's assets in 1941. (David Runk, Associated Press, 6 Dec. 2001)

Construction workers losing rights: Construction work has become increasingly temporary and insecure worldwide as jobs are outsourced to subcontractors, undermining workers' rights to social security and collective bargaining, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)...Union power was being further eroded under the Bush Administration in the United States, which the report said had effectively barred labour agreements on federally funded construction projects. (Reuters, 6 Dec. 2001)

Colombia: the massacre continues - In a letter sent on December 6 to Colombian President Andrès Pastrana, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) condemned in the strongest possible terms the assassination of Aury Sara Marrugo, President of the Bolivar-based trade union, ‘Union Sindical Obrera’ (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 6 Dec. 2001)

At least 100 killed in Colombia fighting:...the body of Auy Sara Marrugo, leader of Colombia's oil workers union, and his bodyguard were discovered Wednesday in Bolivar province, union officials said. (AFP, 6 Dec. 2001)

Mining Company Blocks Fiji Film: An Australian mining company [Emperor Goldmines] has successfully blocked the screening of a film in Fiji - critical of its operations and funded by the NSW Labor Council. (LaborNET [Australia], 6 Dec. 2001)

Shirts Off Their Backs [regarding apparel sweatshops, including those in El Salvador and USA] (Alisa Solomon, Village Voice (New York City), 5-11 Dec. 2001)

AFL-CIO Statement on Trade Union Rights in Indonesia and the Lockout at the Shangri-La Jakarta Hotel (AFL-CIO, 5 Dec. 2001)

Reebok Announces 2002 Human Rights Award Recipients: Four Women to be Honored - The 2002 winners include the founder of the first independent labor union in Indonesia; an advocate for abused children in Zambia; a rescuer of young girls enslaved as prostitutes in India; and an activist at the forefront of a new generation of civil rights leadership in the United States. (Reebok, 3 Dec. 2001)

Factory closed after twins' deaths [South Africa]: Workers 'were locked inside Newcastle factory all night' - The Department of Labour has shut down a textile company in Newcastle following the death of twin infants born inside the factory, which was locked at the time. (SAPA, Natal Witness News [South Africa], 3 Dec. 2001)

Disabilities: Unions will do more [Canada] -...Unions are being asked to find ways to mobilize, organize, represent, and educate working people with disabilities about their rights in the workplace. (Canadian Labour Congress, Canada NewsWire, 3 Dec. 2001)

Huge challenge for ILO: More than one million people die annually from injuries at work and occupational diseases (Trade Union News from Finland, 3 Dec. 2001)

Miners killed at Savuka [South Africa]: Four mineworkers were killed and four others injured following a "seismic event" at Savuka mine near Carletonville on Saturday, according to owners AngloGold. (Lloyd Coutts, Business Report [South Africa], 3 Dec. 2001)

Investors link for Burma protest: Eight of the largest UK and continental European investors will today join forces to put pressure on companies with interests in Burma, amid continuing evidence of human rights abuses. In a joint statement, the investors will call on companies to "justify their involvement" in Burma by publishing independently verified assessments of the risks they are taking with shareholders' money. They will also urge companies to establish effective strategies for promoting human rights and combating corruption. (Simon Targett, Financial Times, 3 Dec. 2001)

Forced labour still massive in Burma, says ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 3 Dec. 2001)

Forced Labour in the 21st Century:...The booklet highlights some of the main ways in which forced labour manifests itself internationally, including through slavery, bonded labour, trafficking and child labour [refers to Burma, Gabon, Haiti, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sudan, United Arab Emirates] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and Anti-Slavery International, 3 Dec. 2001)

Indian Labour Laws Protect Only 8% of Workforce: Report -...present labour laws provided protection to only eight per cent of the entire workforce in the country leaving the rest without any protection in matters of wages, employment and social security (Asia Pulse, 3 Dec. 2001)

Equality committees proposed in new guidelines [Ireland]: The establishment of equality committees and appointment of equality officers are among the proposals in new guidelines for equality in employment...Two weeks ago two companies were ordered by the Director of Equality Investigations to pay £5,000 and £8,000 respectively for discriminating in employment against a member of the Travelling community and a man suffering from a disability. (Carol Coulter, Irish Times, 3 Dec. 2001)

Alcoa alumina workers return to refinery [following walkout on claims that emissions from Alcoa's production process were causing health problems among workers and in nearby residential areas] [Australia] (Reuters, 3 Dec. 2001)

Next WTO chief [WTO Director-General-designate Supachai Panitchpakdi] calls for sympathy for poor nations:...One example of a lack of understanding of the problems faced by the developing world was the insistence by some rich countries on certain labour and environmental standards that poorer countries could not afford to meet. "We should not penalise countries by closing down their market access because they can't bring up financial resources...to abide by the international standards," he said. (Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters, 3 Dec. 2001) 

99% of disabled unemployed [South Africa]: Ninety-nine percent of the 4.8 million disabled people in South Africa are unemployed, Disability Resource Solutions said on Sunday. (News24.com [South Africa], 2 Dec. 2001)

New plan to close equal pay gap [UK]: New law will force bosses to admit whether men receive higher salaries - Working women are to get new legal rights to find out whether male colleagues earn more than them as part of a government crusade to close the pay gap between the sexes. (Gaby Hinsliff, Observer [UK], 2 Dec. 2001)

JCP [Japanese Communist Party] chair urges prime minister to take measures against violation of workers' human rights [Japan]: Referring to the recent serious unemployment rate and related job insecurity, Shii urged Koizumi to implement two recommendations by the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which call on Japan to take: (1) legislative and administrative steps to reduce working hours, and (2) measures to maintain and secure a certain wage level paid to workers at/over 50 years old. (Japan Press Service, 2 Dec. 2001)

India: 13 Bonded labourers freed - The officials of labour department rescued 13 bonded labourers including six children below 14 years of age from a carpet loom situated at Awasanpur under Handia Tehsil. (Times of India, in Child Labour News Service, 1 Dec. 2001)

International alliance joins forces to address child labour abuse in the West African cocoa sector: The global cocoa and chocolate industry today joined a diverse group of partners to sign a joint statement re-affirming the urgent need to end the worst forms of child labour and forced labour in cocoa cultivation and processing in West Africa. The joint statement was signed by representatives of non-governmental organisations, anti-slavery and human rights experts, consumer groups and labour representatives. (National Confectioners Association/Chocolate Manufacturers Association, 1 Dec. 2001)

Chilean 'blaze man' dies: A hospital in Chile has said a man who set himself ablaze in front of the presidential palace in an apparent protest over the misuse of asbestos has died...News organizations said they'd received faxes signed by Mr Mino in which the sender said the protest was calling attention to the cases of hundreds of people who had become ill through contact with asbestos. The letter blamed a Chilean construction company for the illnesses of workers and their families, as well as those of residents who live near one of the company's installations. (BBC News, 1 Dec. 2001)

A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation:...released...on March 26, 2002, focuses on the impact of globalisation on workers, and trade union responses...The Guide to Globalisation gives a tour of the wide array of new approaches in the field of corporate social responsibility, from the UN's Global Compact, to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to unilateral codes of conduct....Central to the guide is the ever-increasing role of multinational enterprises...The guide points to "new management methods, sometimes ‘best practice,’ but too often ‘worst practice’, and the threat to relocate to countries with lower social or environmental standards and no independent trade unions." [other topics include export processing zones; exploitation & abuse of women workers] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, Dec. 2001)

Litigation Update: A Summary of Recent Developments in U.S. Cases Brought Under the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Protection Act [includes updates on lawsuits against Coca-Cola for conduct in Colombia, and against various U.S. apparel retailers & manufacturers of clothing produced in Saipan factories, including Gap] (Jennifer Green [staff attorney at Center for Constitutional Rights] and Paul Hoffman [civil rights attorney and editor of ACLU International Civil Liberties Report], in ACLU International Civil Liberties Report 2001 [American Civil Liberties Union], Dec. 2001)

Recent ILRF [International Labor Rights Fund] Cases to Enforce Human Rights Under the ATCA [includes reference to human rights-related cases against Unocal, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, DynCorp] (Terry Collingsworth, Executive Director of International Labor Rights Fund, in ACLU International Civil Liberties Report 2001 [American Civil Liberties Union], Dec. 2001)

Shut up or die! Crude repression has turned into a brutal attempt to exterminate trade unions altogether in Colombia. (Mónica del Pilar Uribe, New Internationalist, Dec. 2001)

Growing in Unity: Against all the odds, the unions in Latin America’s banana plantations are showing what ‘sustainable development’ might really mean...In the last three years union leaders and others associated with the banana workers’ campaigns for justice have been killed in Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Philippines. (Alistair Smith, New Internationalist, Dec. 2001)

Bitter Fruit: Glamorous brands of French liqueur use one image; Charles Arthur finds another on the orange plantations of Haiti [regarding labour rights issues at plantations producing for Grand Marnier and Rémy Cointreau] (Charles Arthur, New Internationalist, Dec. 2001)

Toys Of Misery: A Report On the Toy Industry in China (National Labor Committee, Dec. 2001)

Workers at a Mexican Maquiladora, a Nike Supplier of College Sweatshirts, Gain a Voice at Work (AFL-CIO, 30 Nov. 2001)

Halting Aids requires world-wide Workplace Action (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 30 November 2001)

No evidence of child labour in Cambodian garment factories, UN reports: The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said today that its initial probe of working conditions in Cambodian garment factories found no evidence of child labour, forced labour or sexual harassment, but did reveal some problems related to over-time payments, hours of work and anti-union discrimination. (UN News Centre, 30 Nov. 2001)

Ford to File Motions to Settle Suits [USA]: Ford Motor Co. plans to file motions next week with proposed settlement terms in a pair of age discrimination class actions lawsuits filed by current and former employees...Negotiations to settle the individual suits have been less fruitful (Ed Garsten, AP, 30 Nov. 2001)

Workers walk off job at Alcoa alumina plant [Australia]: The walkout follows union claims that emissions from Alcoa's production process is causing health problems in the workforce and in nearby residential areas...Alcoa, which operates three alumina refineries in the state, denies the claims. (Reuters, 30 Nov. 2001)

Company fined over student's death [UK]: A company [shipping company Euromin Ltd] was fined £50,000 for safety breaches following the death of a student within hours of him taking a casual labouring job...But a legal battle by Simon Jones's family and protest campaigners, to see the company prosecuted for corporate manslaughter, ended in failure. (BBC News, 29 Nov. 2001)

Australian Alcoa Workers Walk Out on Concealed Cancer Risk: Some workers at Alcoa's West Australian Kwinana refinery have walked off the job after news that the US-owned company had not informed them of serious health risks at two alumina refineries...Alcoa acknowledges potentially cancer-causing compounds were produced in the emissions, but denies they are present at harmful levels. (Asia Pulse, 29 Nov. 2001)

LAPFF Reveals New Shareholder Engagement on Labour Standards: The £40 billion Local Authority Pension Fund Forum has unveiled a new phase in its three year long campaign to raise overseas labour standards in the supply chains of UK retailers. The Forum has analysed the codes of conduct adopted by the nine retail groups in the FTSE100 in order to identify which are the most comprehensive and which are weakest...The two companies with the most comprehensive codes were Safeway and Tesco. All other companies ignore at least one of the 'core' labour standards agreed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). (Local Authority Pension Fund Forum [UK] in CSRwire, 28 Nov. 2001)

Shareowners Increase Social Activism Significantly in 2001: Research released by the Investor Responsibility Research Center reveals upward trends for shareowner activism on social issues...Voorhes considers global labor standards, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and board diversification the hot topics fueling this recent rise in shareowner activism. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 28 Nov. 2001)

Cointreau workers'campaign [Haiti]: Guacimal/Cointreau campaign update - The delegation asked Charriaud [Olivier Charriaud, Rémy Cointreau's international director] why Rémy Cointreau had not pressed its Haitian partner, Guacimal SA, to hold reasonable negotiations with the workers' union at the processing plant at Madeline, or to recognise the legally-registered union at the St. Raphaël plantation. (Batay Ouvriye and the PAPDA [Platform to Advocate for Alternative Development], 28 Nov. 2001)

Internationally-recognised Core Labour Standards in Malaysia [refers to "serious problems of freedom of association, collective bargaining and discrimination, especially against migrant workers"] - In both the electronics and textile sectors, two of Malaysia’s largest export earners, workers have been dismissed or threatened with dismissal for their trade union activities. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 28 Nov. 2001)

press release: Computer Report Card released, Shows U.S. Companies Lagging Far Behind [behind their overseas counterparts in clean production, protecting workers' health and producing environmentally superior products] - National Computer TakeBack Campaign Launched!..."E-waste (electronic waste) is one of the fastest growing and most toxic waste streams -- threatening human health and the environment" (Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, 27 Nov. 2001)

UNI [Union Network International] General Secretary urges new deal for migrant workers:...UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings called for 'a global compact for a better understanding of globalisation and migration - an approach based on the human rights of migrant workers. (Union Network International, 27 Nov. 2001)

RUF Rebels Introduces Forced Labour in Diamond Mining Town [Sierra Leone] (Osman Benk Sankoh, Concord Times [Sierra Leone], 27 Nov. 2001)

Gem Unions Want Industry Dialogue: World's diamond, gem, jewellery and ornament unions call for global agreements with companies - Talks should cover the full range of issues affecting workers in the industry, the unions said, including health, safety and environment, child labour and employment standards. (ICEM - the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 27 Nov. 2001)

'Rights at the workplace' available [Papua New Guinea]: Motu and pidgin explanations on basic human rights at places of work are now available. The translated versions of the International Labour Organisation's "declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work" were launched in Port Moresby yesterday. (Lucy Kapi, The National [Papua New Guinea], 27 Nov. 2001)

 Local workers to get international support [Indonesia: regarding ILO standards and labour issues] (Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta Post, 27 Nov. 2001)

Union Fears Inquiry Into Mass Poisoning Will Be a Mockery [South Africa]: The US$25 million mine owned by Swiss company Xstrata is accused of overexposing miners to vanadium pentoxide and other dangerous chemicals that have caused asthma, cancer and chemical bronchitis. (Sizwe Samayende, African Eye News Service [South Africa], 26 Nov. 2001)

S Korean human rights commission opens: Among Monday's complaints was one...calling for the commission to investigate the arrest of labour leaders...for organising strikes this year. (BBC News, 26 Nov. 2001)

More die in China mine disaster: The death toll in the latest of a spate of coal mine explosions in China's northern Shanxi province rose to 26 on Sunday after two miners died in hospital and rescuers found five more bodies, state television said...The disaster is the latest reminder of the appalling safety record of China's mining industry, the world's biggest but also one of its deadliest. (CNN, 25 Nov. 2001)

It's the real thing—murders at Coke [Colombia: regarding the case brought in U.S. court alleging Coca Cola, Panamerican Beverages & Bebidas y Alimentos were complicit in the assassination of Colombian union leaders] (David Bacon, Labor Advocate Online, 24 Nov. 2001)

Indo-EU Summit Urged to Tackle Caste: Human rights and anti-discrimination campaigners are urging India and the European Union to tackle issues of caste prejudice at a summit which opens in New Delhi Friday...many [Dalits] are still denied access to land, forced to work in degrading conditions, and abused at the hands of the police. (Kalyani, Oneworld South Asia, 23 Nov. 2001)

ICFTU Resolution on the Launch of New Negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO):...DEPLORING the continuing refusal of WTO member governments to address the violation of internationally-recognised core labour standards arising from world trade liberalisation, or even to set up some form of WTO committee or working group (together with the ILO) to discuss this urgent issue;...COMMITS the ICFTU to intensify its campaign, particularly in developing countries, to introduce a full social, developmental, gender and environmental dimension to the WTO, including the respect of internationally recognised core labour standards, until our objectives are entirely realised. (Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 21-23 Nov. 2001)

MYANMAR: Yangon Rejects Call For Permanent ILO Presence - Myanmar Monday rejected last week's International Labor Organization request to open a permanent office there, calling ILO complaints of continued forced labor groundless. Government officials meanwhile pledged to "continue to cooperate with the ILO where possible," Reuters reported yesterday. (UN Wire, 21 Nov. 2001)

WTO Doha Conference a Setback for Labour and the Poor:...Dressed up in the language of a "development round" and rhetorical invocations of the commitment to poverty-alleviation is a significant victory for the proponents of corporate globalization...The accession of China must be seen as positive affirmation of the unlimited right of WTO member states to repress workers and elevate union busting to the level of national policy. (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations [IUF], 21 Nov. 2001)

New laws to hit negligent bosses [state of Victoria, Australia]: Negligent bosses could face up to five years behind bars under new laws to be introduced to Parliament this week. Attorney-General Rob Hulls said the laws would remove the corporate veil from directors who liquidated their companies to avoid prosecution. Under the laws, companies whose gross negligence causes the death of a worker will face fines up to $5 million. Senior officers of those companies face five years' jail or fines up to $180,000. Last year, 31 Victorians were killed in the workplace. (Ashley Gardiner, Herald Sun [Melbourne, Australia], 21 Nov. 2001)

Malden Mills and price of altruism [USA]: The continuing saga at Malden Mills Industries Inc. [textile company] is turning into a case study of whether altruism makes good business sense. Six years ago, the Lawrence textile company gained fame after owner Aaron Feuerstein kept paying thousands of idled workers after a devastating fire...Feuerstein's benevolence may also have laid the groundwork for a comeback. Citing Feuerstein's past conduct, US Senator John F. Kerry yesterday urged Jeff Immelt, chief executive of General Electric Co., Malden Mills' largest lender, to help the company avoid bankruptcy. (Ross Kerber, Boston Globe, 21 Nov. 2001)

House aims to put cap on asbestos liability [USA]: Pennsylvania's House of Representatives approved legislation Tuesday that limits the asbestos liability of the Philadelphia-based Crown Cork & Seal Co., which employs 1,000 Pennsylvanians, including about 267 in Fayette County. State House Republican leader John Perzel of Philadelphia claimed the company could go bankrupt because of asbestos lawsuits. (Dennis Barbagello, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 21 Nov. 2001)

Workers’ Rights Ignored as World Trade Organization Sets Agenda:...“once again failed to take a single step forward to recognize and address the crucial link between the trading system and workers’ rights..." said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. (AFL-CIO, 20 Nov. 2001)

ILO Governing Body's 282nd session targets fundamental rights - The International Labour Office (ILO) Governing Body ended its 282nd session with a renewed commitment to eradicating forced labour in Myanmar, a decision to set up a World Commission of 18 eminent persons to examine the social impact of globalization and a call to end grave and serious violations of freedom of association in Belarus and Venezuela...The Governing Body also agreed on the broad outline of a technical cooperation programme for Colombia with the goal of creating mechanisms to safeguard the lives of trade union and business leaders in that country while strengthening compliance with freedom of association, as well as improving social protection, working conditions and freedom of enterprise in Colombia. (International Labour Organization, 20 Nov. 2001)

Internationally-Recognised Core Labour Standards In The Slovak Republic: Report for the WTO General Council Review of the trade policies of the Slovak Republic...Women, the disabled, and Roma face discrimination in employment. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 20 Nov. 2001)

China acts after mine explosions kill 50: Officials in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi have ordered all small coal mines to halt production for safety checks after more than 50 miners were killed in a series of gas explosions in the past week. (BBC News, 20 Nov. 2001)

Colombian Union Leaders Under House Arrest: Oil workers' leaders could still face trial for strike against terror -...Ironically, the strike itself was a protest against anti-union terror. (ICEM, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 20 Nov. 2001)

Hundreds attend Corus workers' funerals [Wales, UK]: More than 1,000 mourners turned out today in the Welsh town of Port Talbot for the funeral of a 25-year-old man killed in an explosion at the local Corus steel factory...Mr Galsworthy was the first of the three steelworkers killed in the blast to be buried. (Guardian [UK], 20 Nov. 2001)

Do-It-Yourself Labor Standards: While the WTO dickers, companies are writing the rules -...The movement is being driven by Western corporations and the factories in developing countries that supply them...Employers in several developing countries are even asking for independent monitoring of their factories to attract or retain orders from Western companies. Their requests have thrust the International Labor Organization (ILO) into a new role as factory-labor cop. (Aaron Bernstein, Business Week, 19 Nov. 2001)

Fresh China coal mine accidents kill at least 14 (Reuters, 19 Nov. 2001)

Global Unions' Statement: The Role of the IMF & World Bank (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, International Trade Secretariats, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, 16 Nov. 2001)

MYANMAR: ILO Wants Permanent Monitors - The International Labor Organization said yesterday it wants to place permanent monitors in Myanmar because legislation has not eliminated forced labor, Associated Press reports. (UN Wire, 16 Nov. 2001)

Trade unions praise ILO report and reveal the Burma links of 250 companies: "Despite the generals' alleged willingness to tackle the forced labour problem, pressure should be maintained and even intensified on Burma's military junta to permanently abolish the practice", the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) said today. The comment came as the Brussels-based ICFTU and its "Global Unions" partners released a list of 250 companies with business links to Burma. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 15 Nov. 2001) 

ILO calls for reinstatement of dismissed Shangri-La Workers Union members at the 5-star Shangri-La Jakarta Hotel [Indonesia] (Asian Food Worker, 15 Nov. 2001)

Unions unite over BHP: A Wollongong trade union leader said yesterday he fully supported a proposed international union campaign against BHP Billiton over its workplace practices, which unions claim are in breach of core labour standards. The International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) congress meeting in Sydney yesterday resolved to embark on the union campaign against BHP Billiton...Yesterday, the congress was briefed on reports that police and dogs were used against workers when BHP Billiton recently sacked 40 trade union activists in Mozambique for starting strike action over better pay. The congress also heard claims that BHP Billiton was disregarding the health of workers employed in Peru who were working 12-hour days in a mine in a mountain more than 4000m above sea level. (Illawarra Mercury [Australia], 15 Nov. 2001)

IMF [International Metalworkers' Federation] World Congress Presses GE Global Strategy: "GE exploits workers everywhere," IUE-CWA President Edward Fire said in his presentation to the IMF World Congress. "Wherever the company operates, whether in the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia or Latin America, it resists workers' rights to organize and to trade union representation," he said. The IMF is providing full support to efforts to set the recognition of international labor standards by companies such as GE as a condition for world trade. (Communications Workers of America, 14 Nov. 2001) 

BHP-Billiton condemned for anti-union action: Congress vows international trade union action against the transnational metals and mining company. (International Metalworkers' Federation, 14 Nov. 2001)

Global Unions call WTO draft declaration a recipe for disaster: As a result of its disregard for basic human rights and development concerns, the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha stands to further undermine the legitimacy of the WTO, according to the ICFTU, the world’s largest trade union body. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 13 Nov. 2001)

ICFTU/ICATU Joint Statement on Globalisation and the WTO (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions & International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions, 13 Nov. 2001)

Odendaal gets 7 years for killing worker [South Africa]: A Sasolburg businessman who assaulted an employee and dragged him behind his bakkie for more than 5km was yesterday sentenced to an effective seven years' jail. (Dispatch [South Africa], 13 Nov. 2001)

Attendants: Flying isn't safe enough [USA] - Despite the increased security put into place after Sept. 11, a union representing flight attendants says air travel is not yet safe enough for airline passengers and crews..."Flight attendants pass through every airport in the country every day, and we're noticing that enormous lapses in security continue," AFA [Association of Flight Attendants] President Pat Friend said (Jim McKay, Post-Gazette [Pittsburgh, USA], 13 Nov. 2001)

Starbucks says program will reward responsible suppliers: Starbucks Coffee on Monday unveiled a plan to pay coffee suppliers up to 10 cents more per pound if they protect the environment and abide by local minimum wage and worker safety laws. (Allison Linn, Associated Press, 12 Nov. 2001)

Conditions still harsh for Chinese workers, say activists: Helped by media attention and outside pressure, Chinese workers are learning to fight back against sweatshop labour conditions, but abuses remain rampant, scholars and activists say...Mr Li Qiang, a New York-based labour activist, commented on the labour laws: 'There are some good rules, but they're only on paper.' China outlaws independent labour unions, requiring factories to set up unions affiliated with the state-controlled All China Federation of Trade Unions. However, a recently enacted trade union law is explicit in requiring trade unions to represent workers in resolving labour disputes - earlier versions required them to back workers only if their demands were 'reasonable'. (Associated Press, in Straits Times [Singapore], 12 Nov. 2001)

Core Labour Standards tabled at Doha WTO Ministerial:...“It is significant that a number of countries welcomed the proposal to express their commitment to the respect of core labour standards, and for enhanced co-operation between the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the WTO,” commented ICFTU General Secretary Bill Jordan. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 11 Nov. 2001)

Message from Doha - Day 2:...Today the WTO and its agents began the process of telling us "outsiders" here in Doha the way it's going to be. We can forget labor rights. (George Becker and Bill Klinefelter, United Steelworkers of America, 11 Nov. 2001) 

India criticizes WTO over ignoring needs of poor countries: India sharply criticized the World Trade Organization here on Saturday, accusing it of ignoring the needs of poor countries and badgering them to take positions against their will...Among the new issues being considered are proposed moves to link the protection of the environment and workers' rights to trade pacts, a position vigorously advocated by the European Union. Maran [Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Murasoli Maran] reiterated that poor countries firmly reject any such connections, seeing in them a transparent bid by the West to use alleged abuses of labour and the environment as pretexts for blocking exports from the developing world. (Dawn [Pakistan], 11 Nov. 2001)

ILO blasts govt subsidies: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said that subsidising of agriculture by developed countries is killing employment in the third world. (Eliud Miring'uh, East African Standard [Nairobi], 10 Nov. 2001)

Labour: the missing issue at Doha:...The fading of labour rights from the agenda of trade talks has much to do with the new, more pro-business orientation of the Bush administration...However, it is also part of the new negotiating strategy which gives more weight to the concerns of developing countries. They believe that blocking trade in goods because of supposed violations of labour rights would be a form of disguised protectionism. (Steve Schifferes, BBC News, 10 Nov. 2001)

Bangladeshi Workers Inspire Strikers: In a country with scarce protections for speech or workers, the women [apparel factory workers in Bangladesh] are standing up against sweatshops that exploit desperately poor workers to supply cheap goods for U.S. companies, including New Era [New Era Cap Co. in New York, selling baseball caps] (Communications Workers of America, 9 Nov. 2001) 

Labour Unions And the Right to Collectively Demand Rights: Labour unions in Ethiopia have difficulties arising from both industrial and democratic underdevelopment. (editorial, Addis Tribune [Addis Ababa], 9 Nov. 2001)

ILO says Burma still using forced labour:...The ILO mission says the use of forced labour is no longer used routinely on building sites and road construction. At least, it has not seen any evidence of it. But the use of forced labour is still endemic near military installations according to the ILO investigation. (BBC News, 8 Nov. 2001)

PPR accused of dirty tactics in trans-Atlantic row on workers rights [USA]: A trans-Atlantic campaign to win union rights for workers in the US subsidiary of French retailer PinaultPrintempsRedoute (PPR) was launched today... The company has been accused of union-busting tactics in PPR-Brylane distribution centres in Indiana. (Union Network International, 7 Nov. 2001)

ILO team finds limited impact of new legislation against forced labour in Myanmar; Suggests action for further progress: Despite new legislation introduced just one year ago, forced labour still exists in Myanmar, according to a report from an International Labour Office (ILO) High-Level Team. (International Labour Organization, 7 Nov. 2001)

Petroleum, Gas Senior Staff Association Boss Carpets Oil Industry Employers [Nigeria]:...Comrade Luwoye...noted that employers in the sector do not allow casual workers the freedom of association and protection as well as right to organise themselves as stated in the ILO Convention No. 87. (Chioma Ugwunebo, Vanguard [Lagos], 7 Nov. 2001)

Rio co-op raises worker standards, fashionably [Brazil]:...Though located in a favela, the Cooparoca women's sewing cooperative in Rocinha is the antithesis of the stereotypical sweatshop... The women here produce garments for M. Officer, a Brazilian fashion house so cool, it was among the first to hire supermodel Giselle Bundchen...Big decisions are made democratically, and the seamstresses set their own production targets and may work from home, allowing them to care for children while they work (Andrew Downie, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Nov. 2001)

Cape plc Opens Talks With South African Asbestos Victims: First breakthrough in compensation campaign? - Cape mined asbestos in South Africa for almost a century. "Children were employed, unprotected, in the most hazardous tasks of sorting asbestos with their bare hands and trampling it with their bare feet," recalled ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs in letters last month to Montpellier and other major shareholders. "Due to the atrocious conditions at the mines and mills, thousands of South Africans developed the fatal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, and the debilitating disease of asbestosis." (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions [ICEM],  6 Nov. 2001)

International Support for Workers at Yoo Yang of Honduras: The Yoo Yang garment company in La Lima, Honduras, could soon find itself at the heart of an international public campaign to force it to respect the rights of workers to bargain collectively. (International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation [ITGLWF], 6 Nov. 2001)

WCL & ICFTU call on the WTO to make real progress:...The joint statement by the two Brussels-based labour groups calls on the WTO decision-makers to incorporate respect for the ILO’s core labour standards into international trade agreements and the work of the WTO through a formal body with the full participation of the ILO. The statement also demands the inclusion of social, labour, gender, environment and development concerns in the WTO's trade policy review mechanism as well as providing formal consultative procedures for trade unions and other significant and representative non-governmental actors. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and World Confederation of Labour (WCL), 6 Nov. 2001)

Wanted - global authority to tame big business: British charity Christian Aid last week urged delegations heading for next week's World Trade Organisation conference in Qatar to consider the need for a new global regulator to bring corporations under legally binding control. (Reuters, 5 Nov. 2001)

Malaysia warns of WTO standstill if rich include child labor and human rights issues: If rich countries insist on "smuggling" issues like child labor and human rights into a World Trade Organization meeting this week, a new round of free trade talks will not happen, Malaysia's prime minister said Monday. (Associated Press, 5 Nov. 2001)

Trade sanctions against Burma fully compatible with WTO rules, says ICFTU: The persistence of forced labour on a large scale in Burma, widely expected to be confirmed next week by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), should prompt all Member States to impose binding trade sanctions on the Burmese regime, says the ICFTU...While many governments and corporations have hidden behind an alleged incompatibility of trade sanctions against Burma with WTO rules, the ICFTU's briefing rejects their claims as "legally unfounded and morally wrong", Jordan [ICFTU General Secretary Bill Jordan] said today. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 5 Nov. 2001)

Is the HBM&S corporation above the law? Manitoba mining company thinks health and safety rules shouldn't apply to it (Doug Smith, Straight Goods [Canada], 3 Nov. 2001)

Lesotho Government Urged to Protect Rights of Garment Workers:...Says ITGLWF General Secretary Neil Kearney: “...Low wages, long working hours, forced and often unpaid overtime, repression of trade union rights, violations of health and safety standards, and illegal dismissals are the norm in the industry." (International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation [ITGLWF], 2 Nov. 2001) 

Annan urges trade round to aid poorer nations: Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, called on Thursday for a global response to rebuild confidence in the international economic system after the September 11 attacks in the US, including the launch of new world trade talks to benefit poorer countries...Juan Somavia, ILO director-general, also backed a new trade round to make trade "a locomotive of equitable growth and decent work creation". (Frances Williams & Nancy Dunne, Financial Times, 1 Nov. 2001)

EMPLOYMENT: Annan Stresses Plight Of Poor Following Terrorist Attacks - Addressing the opening of the International Labor Organization's Global Employment Forum in Geneva, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said today that the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States will have "severe and multiple" effects on the job market and the poor. Citing the ILO estimate that 24 million could lose their jobs by the end of next year, Annan called for global economic integration that takes into account social and employment difficulties. (UN Wire, 1 Nov. 2001)

book review: China's Workers Under Assault: The Exploitation of Labor in a Globalizing Economy. By Anita Chan, 2001 (review by Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs, Nov.-Dec. 2001)

Merton Company Limited [China] - Products: McDonalds, Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Warner, Paramount, Franklin Mint and DC Comics Factory - Workers work 12.5 hours per day...There is no overtime pay...After all kinds of deductions, the average salary per hour is 13 cents. Many workers have to work 120 days consecutively before getting one day off...To fight for their rights, the workers have organized strikes, tried to form an independent union, and often confronted the factory. In one of such incidents, the local authority sent several hundred armed police to crack down, more than 50 workers were arrested. (Li Qiang, China Labor Watch, Nov. 2001)