Olympic firm admits child labour

When you had a few days off school perhaps you spent them playing sports or reading fiction. For the children of Dongguan though, holiday time is child-labor time.

The BBC reports that children as young as twelve were taken on by Leter Stationery to produce goods associated with the Beijing Olympics. Local officials say that “the children had gone to work at Leter Stationery because their parents had no time to look after them during the holidays.”

It should also be noted though, that Chinese officials have blamed foreign owned firms (such as the Taiwanese firm discussed by the BBC) for the labor abuses.

A Chinese company making products related to the Beijing Olympics has admitted it used child workers, despite initially denying the allegation.

Lekit Stationery said children aged 12 and 13 were employed by one of its sub-contractors, although they did not work on Olympic-related products.

The news follows an investigation in Dongguan city, where Lekit is based.

It was launched after an advocacy group claimed four firms making Olympic products were exploiting workers.

Lekit manager Michael Lee told the BBC that a sub-contractor called Leter Stationery had hired a number of children in the school holidays last winter.

Posted by Szamko
Just tries to tell the truth.

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