Labor Violations

JUSTICE FOR ALL
The Struggle
for Worker Rights
IN CHINA
Copyright © 2004 by the American Center for International Labor Solidarity
ISBN 0-9761551-0-9

Obvious bias in favor of Unionization of Workers, but carefully researched; it should be required reading of All who desire to import from China.

Capitalism is flourishing
under a political dictatorship that
competes by offering investors disciplined
and exploited labor

Since 1990, China’s manufacturing
production has increased by
more than 400 percent. In 2003
alone, China’s total exports rose by 35
percent.

What is the cost of this march to Capitalism?


In 2002, workplace accidents
reportedly caused 140,000 deaths in
China, 250,000 workers lost body
parts and suffered other injuries, and
nearly 400,000 workers died from
the cumulative effects of workplace
illness. In Shenzhen alone, official
statistics indicate that an average of
31 workers per day were disabled
last year and that a worker died at
work every 4.5 days. Between
January and September 2004, official
statistics cite 609,429 workrelated
accidents with a death toll of
98,809 workers.14


Amnesty International notes
that the RTL system remains in place
and continues to be imposed in contravention
of international human
rights standards:9
"People receiving terms of RTL
have no right of access to a lawyer
and there is no hearing for them
to defend themselves. ‘Sentencing’
or assignment to a term of RTL
is usually decided by the police
alone, without judicial supervision
or review.

The Author could cite the use of Forced Labor or listed Conditions in the Workplace, but does not like to partake of Graphics which sicken the heart. It stands as sufficient to state a probable 60% of all Chinese Imports into the United States were produced under conditions in violation to WTO standards--not just ILO standards. Chinese agencies also charge huge sums to Workers to migrate--a good share of this Migration being illegal in the destination Countries. One final quote could be helpful:

China—the global giant whose nearly 800 million
workers represent one-fourth of the world’s labor force.

The NYTimes carried an article Today examining the collapse of the Central American textile industry, because of the removal of the Multi-Fiber quotas at the start of the Year. They are being undersold by Chinese slave labor. The book makes a truly valid case that Chinese labor, if remaining enslaved, will bring down the living standards of Workers throughout the World. lgl