Behind Barbie's Smile: Sweat, Fear, Resignation (Toy Sweatshops)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mattel26nov26,0,4572765,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Just off a wide dirt road that leads to a densely packed jumble of factories, workers behind one guarded metal gate toil seven days a week, sometimes as many as 24 hours straight, making toys for about 20 cents an hour.

It is a pace that makes them almost numb to the poor ventilation, the lack of bathroom breaks and a fear that they will be beaten if they complain.

Sweatshops aren't unusual, of course, in a country that possesses a large and cheap workforce and a permissive government hungry to attract big business. What makes this situation notable is that these workers make products for a company widely considered one of the most socially responsible American firms: Mattel Inc.

The El Segundo-based toy manufacturer was one of the first U.S. companies — and the only major player in its industry — to establish an independent system for monitoring and publicizing how factory workers are treated. In fact, Mattel routinely checks and rechecks hundreds of plants around the world, aiming to ensure that they comply with its 112-item code of conduct.

The seven-year effort has paid off — at least to a point.

[havocmom]

1. Buying too many toys for our kids while selling their futures to deficits

and sentencing them to sweatshops in their futures so the top 1% can have more mad money... Have yourself a Merry little Xmas America. Bah, humbug.