4. Case study: Top Toy, Brio and Coop in China - Swedwatch

1
COOP gave the suppliers A, F, G and H, Top Toy gave the supplier B, ICA gave C and I, Brio gave D and E.
2
In the case of Top Toy the company has only given us the permission to visit some of its most highly ranked
factories (A-B).
3
Southern China – economy and development”, Report from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Ulf Sörmark, 2004-
02-06, www.swedishtrade.se, 2004-02-11.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Schrage, Elliot J,”Promoting International Workers Rights Throgh Private Voluntary Initiatives: Public
Relations or Public Policy?”, A report to the US Department of State on behalf of The University of Iowa Center
for Human Rights, January 2004:108.
7 ”Kina as a WTO member – 18 months after the accession”, the National Board of Trade, Report 2003-06-06, p
10.
8 Risinggård Börje, ”Kina – hot eller möjlighet”, the Importer, Number 2/2003: p 6-7.
9 ”Report from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, China, 2004-06-11, www.swedishtrade.se , 2004-08-30.
10 Ibid.
11 Southern China – economy and development”, Report from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Ulf Sörmark, 2004-
02-06, gathered from www.swedishtrade.se, 2004-02-11.
12 Chan, Anita, 2002, ”The Culture of Survival: Lives of Migrant Workers Through the Prism of Private Letters”,
Chap 7, p 163, http://rspas.anu.edu.au/~anita/, 2004-08-30.
13 Ibid.
14 Chan, Anita,”A Race to the Bottom – Globalisation and China's labour standards”, China Perspectives, No 46,
March – April 2003:p 46.
15 Ibid.
16 “Human rights in China 2003”, the Swedish Foreign Ministry, www.manskligarattigheter.gov.se, 2004-02-12.
This would however imply that China would need to change its legislation as regards for example the freedom of
assembly and freedom of association. The Chinese government has handed in reservations to Human rights
conventions, for example against the right of organising and choosing trade union.
17 ”Report on China 2004”, http://web.amnesty.org/report2004/chn-summary-eng, 2004-08-30.
18 “Human rights in China 2003”, the Swedish Foreign Ministry, www.manskligarattigheter.gov.se, 2004-02-12.
19 Government White Papers, 2. Formation of New Labor Relations, www.china.org.cn/e-white 17/7 - v.htm,
2004-02-16.
20 Kaiming, Liu (2004),”Listening to Workers´ Voice”, p 38.
21 Certain questionmarks still remain according to HKCIC about the local decisions about this insurance, but
according to HKCIC the autorities recommend the employer that the employees be covered by this insurance.
22 The Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee, HKCIC prestudy for SwedWatch, February 2004.
23 Government White Papers, 2. Formation of New Labor Relations, www.china.org.cn/e-white 17/7 - v.htm,
2004-02-16.
24 Kaiming, Liu (2004),”Listening to Workers' Voice”, 2004:17-18.
25 Ibid:21.
26 Ibid:22.
27 “Civil Society groups are emerging to aid migrant women workers in southern China”, Zhang Ze, China
Country Director at the Asia Foundation, Beijing. Paper presented at the China supplier workshop on Labor
practices and corporate social responsibility, Oct 22-23 2001, Shenzhen, China, www.ico-china.org, 2003-11-04.
28
Kaiming, Liu (2004),”Listening to Workers´ Voice”, p 14.
29
Ibid:40 including an interview with Anita Chan, 2004-05-26.
30
Interview with anonymous migrant workers 2004-05-25.
31
Kaiming, Liu (2004),”Listening to Workers´ Voice”, p 35.
32
Tai Guang Lai, factory manager at supplier C including several suppliers that we spoke to in May 2004.
33
“Human rights in China 2003”, The Swedish Foreign Ministry, www.manskligarattigheter.gov.se, 2004-02-12.
34
Kaiming, (2004),”Listening to Workers´Voice”, p 45 – 46.
35
Ibid:46.
36
”ACFTU and union organizing”, Trini Leung, China Labour Bulletin, 2002-04-26, www.china-labour.org.hk,
2003-11-05 and “People's Republic of China: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights 2003”,
www.icftu.org, 2004-01-08.
37
Kaiming, (2004), “Listening to Workers' Voice”, p 51.
38 Ibid.
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