China Labor Watch
Encyclopedia
China Labor Watch is a New York
-based non-government organization founded by labor activist Li Qiang in October 2000. Its mission is the defense of workers' rights in China
. Through research, advocacy and legal assistance, CLW seeks to help China's workers become more informed of their rights and more empowered to realize those rights within their communities.
from its offices in New York City and mainland China. To achieve this goal, the organization:
China Labor Watch has several programs in mainland China to improve local working conditions and promote workers’ legal rights. One of these is the Worker Outreach and Training Program, which provides free classes on Chinese labor law to workers in a neighborhood setting. As a result, the workers become more capable of negotiating with employers and demanding fairer wages and working conditions. Examples of subjects taught in these classes are what to look for in a contract, health dangers in workplaces, and how to bring grievances to the local government's labor departments. By 2007, China Labor Watch had trained over five hundred workers. The organization has distributed forty thousand copies of booklets that explain in clear, accessible terms the hours, wages, and benefits to which workers are entitled by law.
Another program, Hotline Program offers consultancy assistance and legal assistance in terms of labor contracts, social insurance, occupational safety, wages and benefits, and working hours and holidays. China Labor Watch also conducts independent investigations in factories, which cover electronic, retail, footwear, toy, garment, printing, furniture and other manufacturing areas.
Examples:
Since 2003, CLW has maintained a bilingual website in English (China Labor Watch) and Chinese (中国劳工观察) to provide information to any interested individuals. The group is often cited in the media.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based non-government organization founded by labor activist Li Qiang in October 2000. Its mission is the defense of workers' rights in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Through research, advocacy and legal assistance, CLW seeks to help China's workers become more informed of their rights and more empowered to realize those rights within their communities.
Facts
Founded in 2000, the New York-based non-profit organization China Labor Watch promotes the rights of workers living in the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
from its offices in New York City and mainland China. To achieve this goal, the organization:
- Publishes independent investigative reports of factories in China.
- Publicizes news of sub-standard working conditions and wages to the international public.
- Works quietly with multinational corporations who use Chinese suppliers to pressure those firms to conform to international labor standards.
- Empowers the workers themselves to fight for their legal rights.
China Labor Watch has several programs in mainland China to improve local working conditions and promote workers’ legal rights. One of these is the Worker Outreach and Training Program, which provides free classes on Chinese labor law to workers in a neighborhood setting. As a result, the workers become more capable of negotiating with employers and demanding fairer wages and working conditions. Examples of subjects taught in these classes are what to look for in a contract, health dangers in workplaces, and how to bring grievances to the local government's labor departments. By 2007, China Labor Watch had trained over five hundred workers. The organization has distributed forty thousand copies of booklets that explain in clear, accessible terms the hours, wages, and benefits to which workers are entitled by law.
Another program, Hotline Program offers consultancy assistance and legal assistance in terms of labor contracts, social insurance, occupational safety, wages and benefits, and working hours and holidays. China Labor Watch also conducts independent investigations in factories, which cover electronic, retail, footwear, toy, garment, printing, furniture and other manufacturing areas.
Interventions
Often, CLW engages in direct interventions with regard to situations in China. Examples:- 2001: Laid off workers from a VTechVTechVTech is the common name of Video Technology Ltd. , a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of consumer electronics...
factory in GuangdongGuangdongGuangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
Province received their legally mandated unemployment benefits only after CLW helped take their case to court. - 2002: CLW helped workers in the city of PanjinPanjinPanjin is a prefecture-level city and a major oil-producing city in Liaoning Province, China. It is between 40°40' -41°27' in north latitude and 121°31' -122 °28' in east longitude. It has four distinct seasons, an annual average temperature of 8.6℃ and receives over 2700 hours of sunshine a year...
(LiaoningLiaoning' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
Province) receive their legally owed compensation by releasing a series of press releases. - 2004: CLW and other activist organizations successfully campaigned for the release of ten imprisoned Stella International workers by hiring prominent labor lawyers to defend the arrested workers, and by writing advocacy letters asking the companies for which Stella produces to insist on leniency.
- 2004: CLW began pressing Chinese factory owners to provide injury insurance for their workers. Finally, in 2007, in the wake of these efforts by CLW and other organizations, the Chinese government began to require factories to provide such insurance.
- 2005: A CLW-funded legal aid program helped about one hundred workers in ShenzhenShenzhenShenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
to receive adequate wages, by training them on how to bring their cases to local labor bureaus. Altogether, the program educated about eight hundred workers on the law and labor issues, and trained ten labor activists to help workers with work injury related issues. - In 2006, CLW helped coordinate ten thousand workers in launching a petition on labor rights protection in ShenzhenShenzhenShenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
. - 2006: CLW publicized the fact that fifteen of Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
’s China-based supplier factories were under violation for underpaying their workers.
Reports
Occasionally, the organization issues its own reports.Examples:
- 2007: A survey and case study of 260 injured workers in the Pearl River DeltaPearl River DeltaThe Pearl River Delta , Zhujiang Delta or Zhusanjiao in Guangdong province, People's Republic of China is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea...
region was released. (The Long March: Survey and Case Studies of Work Injuries in the Pearl River Delta Region) - 2007: A report about Chinese suppliers to multinational toy corporations was released. The report covered approximately eight toy factories, which are affiliated with BandaiBandaiis a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, Chip Jap Co., Ltd., Walt DisneyWalt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, E. Box and Eager, Fox, Gosh International, Hasbro, Meid Ltd., Russ Berrie, Sanrio, Seeds Co. Ltd, SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, TakaraTakaraTakara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
, and others. (Investigations on Toy Suppliers in China; Workers are still suffering) - 2007: An investigative report was released on four apparel factories in south China whose main customers include Adidas, Bali Intimates, Hanesbrands Inc., Piege Co (Felina Lingerie), Quiksilver, Regina Miracle Speedo, Walcoal America Inc., and Wal-Mart. The report revealed excessive overtime, an extremely exploitive wage system, restrictions on labor associations, and other violations of human rights and Chinese labor laws. (Textile Sweatshops; Adidas, Bali Intimates, Hanesbrands Inc., Piege Co (Felina Lingerie), Quiksilver)
- 2008: A follow-up investigation on Taiway Sports, Inc., a PUMA supplier in China, found that things were no better than they were in 2005. Payments were still being withheld. Theft and violence still existed. Discrimination based on geographic origin was being practiced. (PUMA Supplier's Unchanged Dreadful Conditions)
- 2008: In this report, China Labor Watch criticized the world’s leading retailer, Wal-Mart, for being “hypocritical” in its commitments to social responsibility based on an investigation of one of its shoe supplier factories in China. The investigation found inadequate payment, risky working conditions, and exploitative management system in this factory. (Domination of World's Leading Retailer: Wal-Mart)
Since 2003, CLW has maintained a bilingual website in English (China Labor Watch) and Chinese (中国劳工观察) to provide information to any interested individuals. The group is often cited in the media.