Reports documenting poor working conditions at factories in China producing electronic products for well-known brands such as Apple, HP, Nokia, Dell, AT&T, Motorola and other companies were the topics of a hearing held today by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the U.S. Executive-Congressional China Commission House and the congressional panel that oversees international human rights. The AFL-CIO testified, did human rights groups. 

    “As a member of the World Trade Organization, China has experienced tremendous economic growth and integration into the global economy, but as this Commission’s most recent Annual Report documents, China continues to violate the basic human rights of its own people and seriously undermines the rule of law,” Smith said. “Workers in China are still not guaranteed, either by law or in practice, fundamental worker rights in accordance with international standards.  Despite legislative developments that purport to ensure some labor protections in China in recent years, abuse and exploitation of Chinese workers remain widespread. Conditions in Chinese factories continue to be incredibly harsh. Workers are routinely exposed to a variety of dangerous working conditions that threaten their health and safety.” Click here to read Chairman Smith’s testimony.

    The hearing was entitled: “Working Conditions and Worker Rights in China: Recent Developments." Chinese workers do not have the right to organize into independent unions, and the state-controlled union does little to represent them. The hearing's witnesses discussed the prevalence of harsh working conditions in Chinese factories in places like Shenzhen and Shanghai, assess implementation of China's labor laws, and examine the roles the Chinese government, China's state-controlled union, Chinese NGOs, and private companies, including multinationals, play in addressing worker rights and labor reforms. Witnesses also provided recommendations for U.S. policy on worker rights in China. 

    Testifying before the China Commission were:

•           Charles Kernaghan, Executive Director, Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights
•           Li Qiang, Executive Director and Founder, China Labor Watch
•           Harry Wu, Founder and Executive Director, Laogai Research Foundation and Laogai Museum
•           Thea Lee, Deputy Chief of Staff, AFL-CIO
•           Mary Gallagher, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan
•           Earl Brown, Labor and Employment Law Counsel and China Program Director, Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO

 Click here to read their testimony or watch the hearing.