The Sunday Morning Post revealed at the weekend that about 400 children as young as 14 were working 16 hours a day earning 1.50 yuan (HK$1.39) an hour making promotional toys in Shenzhen factories for the fast-food chain for worldwide distribution, including Hong Kong.
Leaflets appealing for a boycott were handed out by more than 20 protesters from four activist groups at the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, outside one of McDonald's busiest outlets. The group shouted slogans such as "Oppose McDonald's worldwide exploitation."
Urge for boycott: an activist dressed as Ronald McDonald holds a sign featuring the characters for "exploiting workers" under the company's golden arches logo. Picture by Dickson Lee
Several protesters later went to the home of toy company director Jack Lau Kim-hung in Warwick Road, Kowloon Tong. Mr Lau runs City Toys in Shajing, Shenzhen, which employs the children. "I know nothing about this," Mr Lau said before slamming the door on a Post reporter and photographer. He told security guards to block the gate and prevent protesters from entering.
A Post investigation found City Toys was a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Pleasure Tech Holdings. It is contracted by McDonald's supplier Simon Marketing to produce popular promotion toys including Snoopy, Hello Kitty and Winnie the Pooh.
According to a report by the Christian Industrial Committee, a labour group, more than 400 of about 2,000 workers are underage. The group organised the rally along with Greenpeace, the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and Asia Monitor Resource Centre.
McDonald's did not return calls yesterday, but said in an earlier statement that it had a code of practice forbidding contractors hiring underage workers. It said it carried out periodic audits on factories. Child labour is an offence on the mainland and carries a fine of 3,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan.
Yesterday's protest attracted a crowd of onlookers, although some appeared unsure what the demonstration was about.
Christian Industrial Committee researcher Parry Leung Pak-nang said his group would contact the International Labour Organisation to press for investigation. "China is a signatory country to the International Labour Convention. It has the obligation to abide by international rules against child labour," he said. He added the group would also pay follow-up visits to the City Toys factory in Shenzhen to ensure no children suffered as a result of the revelation of their plight.
Customer and French tourist Kavia Kebe, 40, said she was having her last McDonald's burger until the abuse stopped.
South China Morning Post. Copyright ©2000
###