[asia-apec 128] Toy Campaign: Toy workers' rights

[AMRC]

The Toy Campaign: A Strong Commitment to Safeguard the Toy Workers' Rights

The origin

1. Thai Kader fire on May 10, 1993 killing 188 workers and more than 1,000
were injured. The Kader factory produced Bandai toys.

2. Shenzhen Zhili fire in China on November 11, 1993 killing 87 workers and
more than 60 were injured. The Zhili factory produced Chicco toys.

3.  11 workers were killed and 27 were injured in the collapse of dormitory
of the Xiecheng Plastic Toy Factory on June 4, 1996. The factory building
was a three-in-one dangerous building illegally built on a crumbling river bed.

4. several workers died of over work in a Shenzhen factory in 1995.

These are the tip of the iceberg of accidents in the toy industry in Asia.
Numerous toy workers are suffering from accidents, exploitation and
violation of workers' rights. In a research by Hong Kong Christian
Industrial Committee in the summer of 1995, 16 toy factories studied in the
Pearl River Delta, China, including the Mettel, are all found to violate the
Chinese labour regulations. In the face of ruthless exploitation of toy
workers, several local and regional labour groups in Hong Kong established
the Coalition for the Charter of Safe Production of Toys and initiated the
toy campaign in the early 1994, and the campaign has been widely supported
by various kinds of groups in different countries soon, including Thailand,
Japan, Britain, France, Italy. Now the toy campaign has become a strong
force to monitor the toy business. The Coalition has drafted the "Charter on
the Safe Production of Toys" as the foundation of monitoring, and more than
60 local, regional and international groups have endorsed the Charter. The
toy campaign tries to achieve the following purposes:

 1. to safeguard the toy workers' rights through campaigning;
 2. to monitor the toy business through information dissemination;
 3. to lobby toy business, governments and the international community for
the well-being of toy workers 
 4. to conscientize and organize toy workers in Asia to fight for their rights;
 5. to educate the public and consumers about the exploitation of toy

The achievement of the toy campaign

Three main kinds of works in the toy campaign can be listed.

1.  Research centre

Hong Kong has become a key centre for information exchange about the working
condition of the toy industry in Asia. A special bulletin on the Kader Fire,
a report and a video on Chinese toy workers and a special issue on the toy
industry in 5 Asian countries have been published, and an international
conference was held in Hong Kong and the Conference's proceeding has been
published. An intensive research on Vietnam and China will start soon. These
materials are highly valued and immensely helpful to many campaigns in
different countries against the toy industry.

2. Campaigning centre

China is now the biggest toy producer in the world and Hong Kong, due to its
geographical advantage, has become the biggest toy dealer in the world. The
Coalition for the Charter of  Safe Production of Toys has organized tens of
demonstrations against the Hong Kong Toys Council. At least two mobile
exhibitions about the sufferings of Asian toy workers are conducted in Hong
Kong each year. Recently, an outdoor photo exhibition about Chinese workers
has been organized.

More importantly, the Coalition has organized three big demonstrations
against the negligence by the toy business of workers' health and safety in
the International Toys and Game Fair in Hong Kong last three years. Around a
hundred demonstrators gathered together to raise voice against the
international toy business each time. In January, 1996, more than 20
overseas industrial accident victims and unionists also joined the
demonstration.

Moreover, various toy campaigns in different countries also invite Hong Kong
Coalition's members to attend their campaigns, e.g. the anniversary of Kader
Fire, international mourning for the toy workers in New York on April 28,
1996, etc.

 3. Lobbying centre

The Coalition negotiate with the Hong Kong Toys Council for the Safety
Charter and an independent monitoring system. Finally, the Toys Council is
forced to draft another charter for their own members although they have not
endorsed our Charter. Moreover, through the efforts of different groups in
different countries, more and more toy manufacturers' association in various
countries to have their own codes of conduct. Some of them are even trying
to work out an independent monitoring system. Many transnational
corporations (TNCs) are pressurized to draft up their own codes of conduct,
most of which are applicable to their suppliers. Of course, the Business
Practices for the Guidance of Toy Manufacturers of Europe (TME) is a
significant achievement of common efforts of NGOs in the world., However, a
piece of paper cannot safeguard workers' rights. In the TME's business
practices, collective bargaining and maximum working hours are not
guaranteed. More importantly, a beautiful code of conduct cannot prevent
exploitation of workers without an independent monitoring system.

A piece of paper is not enough 

In order to avoid criticism from trade unions and NGOs, many TNCs have
drafted their codes of conduct. However, it seems that such codes of conduct
are not seriously enforced. For example, Reebok has introduced a "Human
Rights Production Standard" to its suppliers, and states that Reebok will
check its suppliers each year to guarantee that they follow strictly the
"Standard". Unfortunately, in August, 1994, the factory of Yue Yuen, one of
Reebok's suppliers, in the Jida District, Zhuhai was found that Yue Yuen
placed worker dormitory inside factory building. This violated Chinese fire
regulations. 

Moreover, five of Reebok's suppliers in China, including the Yue Yuen Group,
were found to violate the Reebok's standard in a survey conducted by Hong
Kong Christian Industrial Committee in summer, 1995. Reebok's management
replied that they had known nothing about violation of workers' rights by
its suppliers. In short, Reebok fails to monitor its suppliers or perhaps it
won't monitor. The beautiful "Standard" is just for public image. Therefore,
nothing can be achieved if we leave TNCs or the business to monitor their
factories. Yue Yuen factory, one of Reebok's suppliers, is found again to
violate Reebok's standard, but Reebok still subcontracts orders to the
company. No punishment has been done. It seems that workers' rights, to
Reebok, is a lip service only.

Independent monitoring system 

It is clear that a monitoring system which involves grassroots groups and
workers must be introduced immediately. Especially the voice of women
workers should not be neglected because most of toy workers in Asia are
women. In fact, the toy business strongly resist an independent monitoring
system. They excuse in the name of commercial secret, but what they wish is
to stop foreign contact with workers. I realize that some unions are now
discussing with the toy business about a monitoring system which involves an
independent organizations, such as the Fair Trade in Britain. Due to no
workers' involvement, it is not perfect but acceptable. However, we should
also realize that there are no "really independent" NGOs in some countries,
such as China, Vietnam. Those NGOs are GONGOs (governmental non-governmental
organizations). The toy business will welcome the participation of such
kinds of NGOs because nothing will be improved. Therefore, we must be very
careful when we discuss with the toy business what kinds of NGOs should be
involved. The Coalition is willing to provide our information and is glad if
we are invited as a member of monitoring system.

Attacks by the toy business 

While we are discussing how we monitor the toy business, the business also
fight back against. They try to stop open demonstration. Even in Hong Kong,
a so-called free city, five peaceful demonstrators have been charged and
found guilty recently in the reason of their disorderly behavior which
caused breach of public order at the 21st International Toys and Games Fair
at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on January 10, 1996. One
of them was even charged assault against a security guard of the Centre even
though the peaceful demonstrators were attacked by security guards and
police indeed. Fortunately, the evident of this charges are not
well-grounded. Moreover, AMRC is also charged for its false reporting about
the Kader Factory in Shekou, Shenzhen. 

These are not occasional cases. They should be regarded as a signal that the
toy business will not tolerate any more the actions against their
exploitation of workers and negligence of workers' safety. They try to keep
NGOs' voice as low as possible. They work with government to stop any
opposition actions. In China and Indonesia, independent unions are oppressed
ruthlessly. This is not only some countries' own issue, but also the issue
of international community because of capital globalizion. More and more toy
workers in Asia suffer, more workers in other regions suffer too. It is not
a battle for a civil society in some countries to resist against oppression
by government and business, but also a battle for a global civil society
against TNCs and autocratic governments. 

Future Plan 

There is no doubt that the Coalition will continue what they are doing,
including research, campaign and lobbing. However, conscientization of Asian
toy workers should be strengthened. The future plan in the coming year is as
follows:

 1. a follow-up research on the toy factories in the Preal River Delta
 2. a comparative study on the township and village enterprises in two main
industrial areas in South China
 3. a comparative study on Chinese and Vietnamese workers
 4. 3 demonstrations and exhibitions in Hong Kong
 5. a workers' rights handbook in different languages. Mainland Chinese,
Indonesian, and Thai versions are primarily considered.

To continue and strengthen the toy campaign, we fervently hope that you will
organize a toy campaign in your countries or your cities to safeguard the
toy workers rights in Asia. Moreover, we also need support. Any kinds of
support and donation are appreciated.

by CHAN Ka Wai
Associate Director
Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee

for the Coalition for the Charter of Safe Production of Toys
on September 12-21, 1996