Publisher's Synopsis
The vast majority of toys bought and sold in the United States are made in China. In November, the labor rights NGO, China Labor Watch, issued a report alleging poor working conditions at four Chinese factories that manufacture toys for several major toy companies and retailers. According to Labor Watch's most recent report, some factory workers are temporary workers and students, who make as little as $1.23 an hour, and some work more than 100 hours of overtime a month, in blatant violation of China's overtime laws. These young people often live in crowded dorms, sometimes 18 people to a room, and they stand for long hours at work, where emergency exit doors are locked. This hearing will examine these allegations, what the toy industry is doing to audit factories in China and address reports of poor working conditions, and the effectiveness of private-sector auditing and business codes of conduct in China.
