Sesame Street’s “Ernie Building Set” was released on July 15 in the United States and Europe, a product assembled in a sweatshop factory in Shenzhen, China by young exploited workers. In a recent report, “Nightmare on Sesame Street,” international workers’ right group, the National Labor Committee, uncovered “abusive sweatshop conditions” of excessive work hours, forced overtime, insufficient protection and hazardous work environment, child labor, poor living conditions, and illegally low wages. Sesame Street licensed the manufacturing rights to K’Nex Brand, LP, who sent their products to be constructed and assembled in Kai Da Toy factory in China. These products were then distributed to the United States and Europe by Hasbro.
In an interview with one of the workers, the worker expressed disbelief when told of the price of the “Ernie” toy. “I can’t believe it, what we make within seconds can be worth several days of our wages.” According to the NLC, “the $10.99 retail price for the Ernie toy is the equivalent of more than three days’ wages.”
Shenzhen’s legal minimum wage is $0.62 USD an hour, but the average worker at the factory only receives $0.43 USD an hour. How can the second largest toy construction company in the world utilize a factory that can’t even pay their employees with the correct hourly wage? In addition, the factory requires a 23 ½ hour shift for all employees before a shipment leaves the factory, leaving only a half hour for sleep. Twenty three and a half hour shifts are ridiculous and inhumane. There are only 24 hours in a day; eight of those hours are suppose to be allotted for sleep. Furthermore, the city of Shenzhen only allows for a 40 hour work week with no more than 36 additional hours for overtime. That would be a total of 76 hours a week or a little more than 10 hours per day over a 7 day work week. Employees should not be working these excessive hours and then be cheated out of half of their overtime pay.
The factory employs over 600 employees, who are mostly young and female. A hundred of these employees are 16 year old high school students who have been trafficked or recruited by their “teachers” from technical training schools. Traffickers take fees and tuition from the salaries of these workers, reducing further the non-living and illegal wage. In addition, if the worker decides to leave the factory before the three or six month term is completed as stated in the contract, the factory deducts a month’s wage from the employee. Furthermore, the contracts are kept by management and workers are not allowed a copy.
K’Nex responded to the NLC report in the following press statement:
We are a family owned company and we are committed to the safety and welfare of children The Hoida toy factory is ICTI (International Council of Toy Industries) certified, which means that we comply with the highest safety and labor laws in the toy industry. We take the NLC allegations very seriously and as a result we are launching an immediate investigation. (Playthings)
Sesame Street Workshop is a nonprofit group dedicated to providing educational media sources to children all over the world. However, having their products made in abusive conditions and by individuals who have barely left childhood, is not sending the right image to their consumers or complying with corporate responsibility. Sesame Street and Hasbro have the responsibility to work with K’Nex to watch over the working conditions in these factories. It is in the opinion of the NLC that:
Sesame Street, Hasbro, and K’Nex must work with their contractors to finally bring the Kai Da plant into full compliance with China’s labor laws and the core internationally recognized worker rights standards. (Nightmare on Sesame Street)
K’Nex toys are sold in all major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us, and Target.