We know that conditions in Chinese factories supplying consumer goods are monitored by the companies they contract to, right?
In order to cope with the unexpected inspections by overseas clients, the Huadu Zhenghui company produced a "VF Company investigation questionnaire." The workers were ordered to memorize all the questions and answers, upon pain of having their wages withheld for any incorrect answers. Yesterday, our reporter went to the Zhenghui company in Huadu to investigate and verify the allegations of the workers… …According to the worker named Ah Guo, the company distributed a "VF Company investigative questionnaire" to the workers more than two months ago. There were ten questions with answers listed on this sheet. The workers were ordered to memorize these answers. On payday, the people from the Finance Department and Human Resources Department would go down to the factory floor and quiz the workers. When a worker provides an incorrect answer, his pay would be withheld until he memorizes the answers and passes a re-test. Basically, the workers will not be paid until they get all the answers right. December 5 was payday but many workers have still not gotten their October pay because they gave the wrong answers.
VF company?
The "VF Company" on Zhenghui's questionnaire appears to refer to the American company known as the VF Group. This is one of the largest clothing companies in the world and owns famous brands such as Wrangler, Hero, The North Face, Nautica, JanSport, Vans, Kipling, Reef, etc.
A quick google informs me that the VF corporation produces these brands. The reporter then went through the questions on the form, giving his own findings. One for irony lovers:
How are the state holidays implemented?Company's answer: Three days off on May 1st, October 1st and the Lunar New Year; one day off on New Year's Day.
Worker's answer: One day off on May 1st and October 1st. No holiday on New Year's Day.
Reporter's finding: The worker is right.
As everyone knows, Chinese new year is a traditional ceremony. And as everybody knows, May 1 is international workers day and October 1 is Chinese national day. Miss those and they’d be in trouble with the authorities.
Read it all. This appeared at ESWN and so will be all over the Chinese blog world. It would be nice to get it spread occidentally, too. Incidentally, Southern Metropolis Daily got to hear about it through a blog started by one of the factory workers.
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