Investigation uncovers squalid conditions in Chinese toy sweatshops

Chinese toy factory workers have to labour for long hours for minimum wage. Photo / China Labour Watch

Long working hours, low pay and squalid accommodation - welcome to Santa's real workshop where your Christmas presents are made.

It is not nearly as glamorous as what you'd see in a Christmas movie.

There are no bells and whistles, smiles or elves - the reality is grim and people work like slaves in Chinese sweatshops.

China Labour Watch investigated four factories where people work 11 hours a day, six and sometimes seven days a week, often without a break, for minimum wage.

An undercover investigation into Chinese toy sweatshops in southern China's Guangdong Province discovered 10 workers were crammed in small dorm rooms and in winter could not even have warm showers.

"The situation has lasted for many decades. Tragically, not much has changed so far," China Labour Watch said.

Inside the sweatshops, people are making Disney, Mattel, Fisher-Price and McDonalds brand toys.

Conveyor belts are filled with Thomas the Tank Engines, Barbies, DJ Suki Trolls, Hello Kitty merchandise, Hot Wheels cars and Disney princesses.

China Labour Watch, a community-based organisation which fights for workers' rights, went into the factories undercover in April and September.

Workers at three of the four factories were only paid about $300 a month. At the other, workers were paid $400 a month. Workers from all the factories barely got to see their families.

According to Chinese Labour Law, labourers are not allowed to work more than eight hours a day but can work overtime in some circumstances. However, a labourer can't work more than 36 hours of overtime a month.

"We found that the average working hours in these four factories was 11 hours a day, with more than 50 overtime hours a month, and at half of the factories, overtime hours had reached 100 hours," a Chinese Labour Watch report said.