Experiencing the toxic toys, copyright infringement and a series of setbacks, Chinese toys exported to Germany during the Christmas holidays will usher in a frost. December 8, the German Toy Industry Association announced, according to information at their disposal, many Chinese toy manufacturers in the work environment have failed to meet international standards. In the next few days, they will for the first time published a "white list" so that Consumption Understand the Chinese toy suppliers of labor protection in order to buy toys, "think twice."
First published the "White List"
"The 'white list' will be published through the media these days one after another." Head of the German Toy Industry Association Buluobaier said, "so to buy toys for their children that consumers can know which is in the 'inhumane conditions' under the production of toys. "currently based in Stuttgart, Germany German Toy Industry Association, which owns more than 140 toy manufacturers and distributors.
It is understood that the German Toy Industry Association released a "white list" will involve more than 400 Chinese toy enterprises. "White list" of data from Germany called "fair toy" a Hong Kong non-governmental organizations and industry co-completion of the investigation committee. Not yet been reported in the text, see that the description of working conditions of Chinese workers: the workers to work seven days a week, often working at night, before Christmas, most of the work of 16 hours a day. Their wages only between 500 to 700 yuan, almost no one knows the national minimum wage standards and the "Labor Law" the maximum working hours. Buluobaier that "people only received reliable information on working conditions, before deciding whether to buy. The only way to ensure fair competition."
Toy Industry Association, the German statement, random interviews with several shopping malls in the Christmas toys are selected German consumers. It was immediately said that if true that, as the report said, she "very difficult to accept such a toy to the child." But some people doubt that the "inter-Jie Duan peer may not be plausible."
"Humanitarian" issue into a new weight
German Toy Industry Association statistics, in 2005, the German toy-scale production of 11.2 million euros, down 8.9% the previous year. In contrast, imports have increased by 18.8%, of which from China reached 1.791 billion euros, accounting for 57.3% of the market. In this regard, Germany Purchase Union president Wumubahe is not surprising. He told reporters that the Chinese toy industry is no longer satisfied with generation of processors and the role of a low-cost suppliers. More and more Chinese enterprises to establish their own brands, many dealers on the Chinese manufacturers of the intelligence and flexibility of praise, "in China to get samples from the complete design, just 10 days, it takes a few months the German manufacturers of time. "
Chinese manufacturers cheap price and excellent quality so that local enterprises in Germany Jiaokubudie. Now the industry only 15,000 employees, only about a large number of factory employees. This year, Zapf companies have well-known toy companies stop production in Germany. In order to check Chinese toys, German toy manufacturers and industry associations have already exhausted all kinds of "weapons": toxic materials, the design does not meet Security Standards, piracy counterfeiting, etc., in recent years, another target of their attack targeting workers rights. Two years ago, the German media on the Chinese toy manufacturers to "inhuman conditions of production" of the accused, and even protests broke out on-line signature. That year, the German toy imports from China fell 12.9% on the total amount.
From the late 80s on the distribution of Mr. Shih said the Han Chinese toys, Toy Association said the situation in China does exist, but as a check of a barrier is not China's toy fair, "after all, like Adidas This German brand has also been caught in too large 'sweatshop' whirlpool. "And he felt the Chinese government is working to resolve labor issues in China, and has achieved initial success, significantly higher minimum wage, labor inspectors are continuously strengthened.
Treatment of employees should be closer to international standards
Ms. Zhang said Chinese businessmen, and now Western consumers buying goods, in addition to the design and quality, more emphasis on "third value" is commonly referred to as "spiritual value." If a product's production process does not meet the consumer's values and ethical orientation, even if another reasonable price is difficult to be accepted.
Very fact that to say an example. A few years ago, the United States published a survey that some of Wal-Mart suppliers in developing countries fail to pay their workers Law The minimum wage does not provide medical and health Insurance And working environment. Because Wal-Mart's goods are usually cheaper on someone's orders to whom, so the factory had to pay down the cost of using a variety of ways. After reading some consumers reported, have refused to buy Wal-Mart's merchandise, and even some small town refused to build Wal-Mart Supermarket . This has caused great loss of Wal-Mart.
"In a few large multinational companies have learned the lesson, the on working conditions, environmental and labor standards provisions of multinational companies more and more in the additional terms in procurement contracts." Frau German economist asked professor said, "and every year on the supplier's fulfillment of an on-site inspection." Recently, the EU is also committed to toy manufacturers and importers to introduce a "connection password." All manufacturers and importers have an obligation voluntarily accept the checks to avoid situations such as child labor and poor working conditions and so on.
Froteau that, while the German Toy Industry Association's motives are not pure, but the Chinese toy companies should take this opportunity to fully implement the International Toy Association code of conduct. "The only way to get consumers to access the procurement system of cross-border buyers can make their foreign counterparts no 'wrong' can be picked."
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