By Star Chang, posted Jul 25, 2012 at 1:01 AM, 586 views,

Olympic Mascots Made in Chinese ‘Sweatshop’ Factories

Olympics’ merchandise for London Olympic is being produced in sweatshop conditions with staff earning as little as US$9 (59 yuan) a day, despite organizers promising to clean up its supply chain. A Hong Kong workers’ rights group spoke to dozens of Chinese factory workers and discovered staff were forced to work up to 120 hours overtime a month, nearly three times the legal limit. At one factory, staff had to buy their own safety masks and were fined half a day’s salary if they were five minutes late to work. Staff were exposed to hazardous conditions in the paint spraying without adequate protective equipment, the manufacturer only provided new masks once or twice a month …

Some of the 50 workers interviewed said they left the factory constantly covered in paint and even their saliva had changed color, while others were left feeling sick. Most of the workers are not sure if their employers pay for their work-related injury insurance. Workers were also denied copies of their labor contracts, the minimum wages were not set and overtime premiums were not paid in accordance with legal standards. One of the factories investigated was in charged of producing 25 million plastic figures of Olympics mascots Wenlock and Mandeville for the London organizing committee of the Olympic Games. We believe no one will cheer for the sweat and blood of these workers as consumers simply do not know the realities of life at the Chinese factories where the Olympics’ merchandise are produced.

SOURCE: SACOM via theguardian