Beijing 2008 Hit By Child Labour Row

The organising committee for the Beijing 2008 Olympics has been caught up in a
child labour storm after it emerged that it had employed a licensing company
that had utilised a child workforce.

Despite initially denying the allegations of child labour, Lekit Stationery
said children aged 12 and 13 were employed by one of its sub-contractors,
although they did not work on Olympic-related products.

The admission followed the launch of an inquiry after an advocacy group
claimed four firms making Olympic products were exploiting workers.

Lekit revealed that a sub-contractor called Leter Stationery had hired a
number of children in the school holidays last winter. They were each paid about
$2.50 a day for their work.

Lekit stated that it was forced to hire Leter Stationary to make packaging
products, such as labels, due to the large orders it had undertaken.

The company insisted these products were not related to the contract it won
last year to produce stationery emblazoned with Olympic symbols.

‘We didn’t know that they would hire children,’ stated Lekit manager Michael
Lee. ‘We will not use them again, and in future we will make sure that all
sub-contractors are qualified.’

However Lee’s denial was discredited after it emerged that the Leter
Stationary factory was directly opposite and in clear view of the headquarters
of Lekit.