WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
issued the following statement after the House approved H.R. 4444, a
bill to grant China Permanent Normal Trade
Relations.
“One of the more compelling arguments for Permanent Normal
Trade Relations is that it will improve the life of Chinese workers
and that U.S. companies will export higher wages and better working
conditions. But a factual and shocking report says exactly the
opposite. The report was prepared by the National Labor
Committee and entitled Made in China: The Role of U.S. Companies
in Denying Human and Worker
Rights.
“The report found that instead U.S. companies are taking
advantage of the near slave labor conditions and wages that persist
in Chinese factories. We should not be surprised. U.S.
companies operating in China like Wal-Mart, half of whose U.S.
employees qualify for food stamps, have workers in China, nearly
half of which owe the factory money. They owe the factory money
after working for a month, 12 to 14 hours a day, making Kathie Lee
Gifford handbags
“Proponents of this proposal dismiss those of us who raise
labor and human rights abuses as isolationist and anti
progress. They could not be further from the truth. We
favor establishing rules that protect workers and promote American
ideals.” |