Wal-Mart Brings Holiday Cheer, Sweatshop-Style

A group of Chinese teenagers, with the help of the National Labor Committee, recently exposed the horrendous working conditions of the Guangzho Huanya ornament factory (read sweatshop) in Guangdong, China. According to Mother Jones and the National Labor Committee, the factory in Guangdong employs 8,000 workers and is among the top three Christmas ornament makers in mainland China. And where might these ornaments be sold in the States? You guessed it—Wal-Mart! The high school students were smart enough to bring along their camera phones, and they broadcast video of children as young as 12, forced to work 15 hour days, 7 days a week, for as little as 26 cents per hour! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; workers at the factory have also been exposed to dangerous chemicals that cause skin rashes and sores. Of course the management of the factory doesn't pay for medical bills or allow sick days and docks workers who quit unexpectedly an entire month's pay.

The new NLC report finds that each worker at the factory is expected to pump out tens of thousands of ornaments a day, hand painting one every 39 seconds, or spray painting, without gloves or masks, between 64,000 and 76,800 hanging decorations each shift. You can read the NLC’s report here, and view video shot by the highschoolers. Wal-Mart, of course, has kept mum. Let them know where you’ll be doing your holiday shopping by writing CEO Lee Scott at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, Arkansas, 72716-8611 or here. Wal-Mart claims it’s “driven by a common mission: saving people money so they can live better...” We fail to see how these workers are “living better!”