Ref: Times Live
A Chinese factory contracted to produce figurines of World Cup mascot Zakumi has been forced to stop work after accusations that it was running a sweatshop. Fifa's worldwide licensing representative, Global Brands Group, has suspended its approval of Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products & Gifts after an inspection and audit of its factory. The audit was prompted by international media reports that the workers at the factory were paid R23 a day and teenagers were forced to work 13-hour shifts to manufacture Zakumi figures. Shanghai Fashion had agreements with companies in Europe, North America and South Africa to make 2.3million toy figures of the dreadlocked leopard mascot.
About 100000 of the figurines were reportedly destined for Ascendo Industrial, a heavily guarded factory and distributor in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, owned by ANC MP Shiaan-Bin Huang and his wife, Su-Luan, who subcontracted the work to the factory in China. Yesterday, Global Brands Group spokesman Paul Zacks said he could not confirm the conditions at the factory, pending approval of a statement from its head office in Singapore. But he said the audit identified a number of areas of non-compliance with Global Brands' policy.
"A corrective action plan has been put together with the manufacturer to close the gaps and make necessary improvements. In the interim, approval for this factory to manufacture these figurines has been temporarily suspended, affording them the opportunity to put in place corrective actions and measures to ensure the factory remedies its non-compliance," he said. The Fifa group has not disclosed the length of the suspension but said the company will be audited again. However, Huang is confident the suspension will be lifted as early as next week and manufacturing resumed. "There is no big issue. There was an inspection. But when the media reports began, the factory began paying its workers more and changing, so I think by next week, they will be making the figurines again," he told The Times.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said the trade union welcomed the moves to improve working conditions at the factory in China, but any work related to the World Cup should not have been outsourced. "We still stand firm behind our statement that all World Cup goods should be proudly South African," he said.
Comment: Mr. Patrick Craven has been asked a number of times to comment on the Bafana Bafana clothing made in China but he is yet to respond. Can we assume the same conditions prevail in the factories making South Africa's national soccer team's merchandise?
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