International Labor Conditions
Even with this decidedly honorable code of conduct, if the procedures implemented to police and monitor its application are not effective, then it will not be known whether or not its regulations are being followed. By all indications, this may well be the case. Three cases can be cited that illustrate Disney's dedication to their Code and to international labor standards has a whole: workers in Burma, Haiti, and China.
Burma
According to a 1998 study by the U.S. Department of Labor, the labor situation in Burma during the past several years has been dire. The study states that Burma has been home to a ruthless military dictatorship, marked by violence, lawlessness, and human rights violations. Since the 1992 military coup, there has been a dramatic increase in forced labor, especially in government infrastructure projects. The increase was greatest in ethnic minority areas along the border. In addition, forced labor is used in military operations, including the use of such labor to lead columns to detonate mines and spring booby traps. The government of Burma has also been criticized for the illegality of unionization and free association, cornerstones for equitable treatment of labor. Child labor, in addition, is reported to be quite common, especially in the trafficking industries, the sex trade, and the military. In conclusion, the study reports that "basic worker rights are not respected," and that "it is likely that serious violations of international labor standards will continue in Burma until steps are taken to initiate some transition to democracy." In light of such allegations, the National Labor Committee linked a factory producing Disney products to a military holding company and released a report stating that Disney was linked to support for Burma's military dictatorship (�Myanmar's Moves�), an allegation reminiscent of Disney's history and cooperation with the U. S. military. In light of the study, consumer protest was widespread, forcing Disney to pull its operations out of Burma completely, a step that many believe should have been taken long before (Kernaghan).
Haiti
A second case of widely-reported abuses by Disney contractors is in Haiti, specifically in the factories of H.H. Cutler, an international manufacturing company that does business with Disney in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. In May 1995, the Haitian minimum wage was raised to 36 Gourdes per day, approximately $2.40. An August 1995 study, however, showed that over half of U.S. production factories in Haiti were paying less than the minimum. Another investigation, performed in July 1997, showed that Haitian have no collective bargaining rights. Frequently during attempts to organize, workers are immediately fired. Most organization attempts focus on the lack of adequate lighting, wages, ventilation, water, and a pressure to work at very high speeds. Individual cases of violations in Disney-associated factories include a Quality Garments factory producing Disney pajamas in 1996 for an average of $1.67 per day, 73c below minimum wage. The factory also does not pay the required overtime wages. In addition, after a Disney internal inspection of an L.V. Myles plant in 1997, most of the workers who were interviewed were subsequently fired. The conclusion of the Clean Clothes Campaign study that reports these findings states that, among other things, the freedom to associate is still frequently violated and daily wages remain below the subsistance level. Only because of the public pressure by such organizations did Disney respond to prior allegations of wage and environmental violations.
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