Working in southern China, where the Disney toys are manufactured, is never a languid and comfortable job—unless you are an official. Every waking moment of the workers has to be devoted to creating and designing new toys for children around the globe.
Although the workers once used to be proud of their jobs—by bringing joy and happiness to the children around the world and designing cartoon characters beloved by their own children. However, the monotonous and prosaic job has made they resent the perpetual manufacturing of toys. But that was not the reason for them to sue their bosses.
Overworked and underpaid, the labourers are finding it hard to endure. Although the Chinese labour law requested officials to adhere to certain guidelines for the duration of the workers’ work, few comply with them. The law suggested that working 40 hours a week and 36 hours overtime time per month is the maximum for all workers, but its effect has been proved futile by the Disney toys manufacturers. They claim to work 347 hours per month, almost exceeding the ‘maximum’ working time by 150 hours.
The busiest period for these workers has to be during April and September. They are required to manufacture the stipulated quotas of toys, usually around 6,000 or above, and they will have to achieve the target before they can take any rest. Despite the laborious work, they receive only 700 to 1,000 yuan per month. Forget about peanuts given to the hard-working labourers, the overdue remuneration is also inducing workers to complain about their officials. They often receive the salary after 40 days and if during the period, they get sacked or they have chosen to quit, they will go home with no compensation or salary at all.
The somewhat deplorable working conditions for the labourers are also causing them to remonstrate. They work in old buildings where the facilities were inadequate.
As a result, the workers decided not to buy any Disney products, taking into reference the low payment and low cost of their products; but being sold at a now-seemed exorbitant price.
To the workers, their life live is so depressingly miserable and boring, and, with their passion for life being extinguished by the job, they feel nothing more than a robot in the factories.
Nonetheless, Disney is pondering on a new site for the factories to be relocated, and presumably the working condition is going to be improved. I believe manufacturers have to make sure their workers an appealing condition for them to work or it will not be long for it to culminate in another September strike.