A report by PlayFair 2008 – an alliance of global trade unions and labour groups – has identified four factories that it says are abusing Chinese and international labour standards to produce Olympics-licensed products for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, reports the Associated Press.
According to the 30-page report released Sunday, backpacks, caps and other licensed products are being made in Chinese factories using child labour and employees are forced to work long hours for less than minimum wage.
Guy Ryder, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, a PlayFair campaign member and worldwide union association headquartered in Brussels, said, “licensing of the Olympic brand is a major source of income for the IOC and national Olympic committees. It brings shame on the whole Olympics movement that such severe violations of international labour standards are taking place in Olympic-licensed factories”.
Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice president of Beijing 2008, said Monday, “we have very clear requirements and specific rules and regulations to manage the manufacturing. If they breach our regulations then we will tackle this problem seriously. If they very seriously breach this regulation, they will no longer work as our manufacturer”.
Officials of the organizing committee reportedly said they had not seen the report until Monday. It shows that companies hire workers as young as 12 and accuses the companies of falsifying records and coercing workers to lie about their terms of employment.
Meanwhile the Associated Press reports the International Olympic Committee (IOC) saying it does not have direct control over all official products that carry the Olympic label. It said it has created policies on fair labour standards that it expects Olympic host cities and licensed manufacturers to follow.
IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said in a statement, “the IOC is committed to being a socially responsible leader of the Olympic Movement that takes care of the Olympic brand in the best way possible. It matters to us that sourcing is done ethically”.
