BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Organizing
Commitee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) Tuesday announced that one licensee was
found to use child labor and the another three violated labor law.
BOCOG announced the investigation results on its
official website that Le Kit Stationery Co. Ltd (Dongguan), was believed to have
used child labor by employing eight students in the first months this year for
packaging work, which was not related to Olympic products.
The company also failed to sign labor contracts with
some of its workers, BOCOG said. So BOCOG has decided to terminate Le Kit
Stationery Co.'s right to manufacture and sell Olympic licensed products and
revoked its licensing contract with the company.
BOCOG said another three companies, Eagle Leather
Products (Dongguan), Yue Wing Cheong Light Products (Shenzhen) and Mainland
Headwear Holdings Ltd., (Shenzhen) had overtime issues, but no child labor
issues were discovered. It has decided to suspend approval of all Olympic
products designing of the three licensees, and requested they rectify their
production and business operations in accordance with local labor bureau's
requirements immediately.
An NGO FairPlay 2008 released a report in June this
year, alleging labor abuses in the four licensees, which drew BOCOG's immediate
attention. BOCOG requested that the four companies provide detailed information
and explanations on the situation.
Relevant labor administrative departments at national
and provincial levels responded quickly. Local municipal authorities in Dongguan
and Shenzhen formed a special team to conduct comprehensive investigations from
June 12th to 18th and delivered an extensive report on the issue. From the end
of June till the beginning of July, investigation teams from Guangdong Labor and
Social Security Bureau, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and BOCOG
further reviewed the results of the investigation reports and have now concluded
the investigation.
BOCOG reiterated on its website that it attaches
great importance to working conditions and corporate social responsibility
issues in licensees' companies. BOCOG will, in line with its licensing
agreement, seriously deal with any licensees who have violated national labor
laws and regulations.