The Finnish watchdog Finnwatch published its own analysis on Monday based on the data put together by Swedwatch. The data concerns working conditions at four factories in Guangdong. The new data enables us to understand and draw conclusions on how working conditions have changed in recent years as Swedwatch made a similar study in 2005.
The analysis conducted by Finnwatch summarizes the most significant positive changes as follows:
However, many serious and systematic deficiencies in working conditions prevail. Thus the study at hand confirms results of other recent studies on China39s factories, made by several other independent research organizations. The most important negative findings are as follows:
The authors of the study, Henri Purje and Kristina Areskog Bjurling, stress the responsibility of companies importing goods from China. But not only the importers should be more conscious and demanding concerning working conditions at the Chinese factories where consumer items are produced. "Consumers should be alert to the origin of the goods and on the working conditions of the workers and be prepared to demand information about these things", they write.
In addition, politicians should actively broach the subject of problematic working conditions and lack of rights when meeting representatives of China, the authors urge.
Hikistä hommaa (a 38-page pdf-file in Finnish), Finnwatch 3/2012