Labor Violations Exacerbate Ethnic Tensions in South China

NEW YORK, July 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today
by China Labor Watch:

The July 5th events in Urumqi are a tragedy for both Uyghur and Han people.
CLW hopes that events do not escalate further and that all residents of Urumqi
will be safe.

The recent movement of Xinjiang migrant workers to factories in South China is
an attempt to satisfy demand for workers there and demand for jobs in
Xinjiang. Xinjiang government has encouraged this migration and even assisted
in coordinating translators to accompany Uyghur workers. Most workers go
willingly, given the poverty and unemployment problems in their hometowns in
the poor regions of southern XJ.

Factory conditions in this region are extremely poor, wages are low and labor
relations are intensely strained. Han and Uyghur workers have different
lifestyles and cultural backgrounds and are unable to talk about these
differences because of a language barrier. Without this ability to
communicate, Uyghur workers may believe that discrimination targets them alone
and not their Han co-workers. Finally, factories see workers as production
tools and rarely provide training or educational opportunities that might
allow Uyghur people to integrate into the community. In reality, Han and
Uyghur workers alike are subject to a number of labor rights violations.

The Shaoguan factory is part of Early Light International Holdings Ltd., which
produces toys for numerous multinational toy brands. In a recent
investigation of a different Early Light Factory in Shenzhen, CLW identified a
number of labor violations including unpaid overtime, poor dormitory
conditions and illegal labor contracts. In the investigation, it was also
discovered that the factory had transferred many orders to the Shaoguan
factory which had lower wages of 28 RMB($4.12) per 8 hour workday.

CLW has the following recommendations for Early Light:
1. Allow Uyghurs workers to leave the factory at their discretion, and pay
travel fees and severance payment. Early Light must not allow the
families of these workers to worry about their safety.
2. The factory and local government must organize training for workers who
wish to stay in order to establish a healthy community of Han and
Uyghur
people.

CLW calls on the Chinese government, Uyghur groups, and international
corporations to work together to improve labor conditions for Uyghur workers.

SOURCE China Labor Watch

Li Qiang, Executive Director, China Labor Watch, +1-212-247-2212,
inquiry@chinalaborwatch.org, http://www.chinalaborwatch.org