A 13-year old child worker recently died at a shoe factory in China, highlighting what activists say is a worsening labor environment in the country.
Reports indicate that the child worker died after his uncle was unable to obtain help at the factory, and the boy arrived at the hospital too late. The facility mostly produces women’s footwear for Chinese companies.
Li Qiang, executive director of the activist group China Labor Watch (CLW), says labor conditions in China are "deteriorating," according to congressional testimony he will deliver on Thursday.
CLW released a report last month that found several labor violations at factories that make toys for some of the world’s largest companies.
"During peak season, workers commonly work six days a week, eleven hour a day; do not receive adequate healthcare or insurance nor legally mandated safety training; live in small rooms in factory dorms with 10 or more workers; have their IDs illegally confiscated; are made to jump through hoops if they wish to resign; and are not able to receive due wages if they quit," Qiang will say in his testimony.