Chinese Factory Producing Labubus Toys Found to be Exploiting Workers
A labor rights NGO has uncovered evidence of worker exploitation at a Chinese factory producing the popular Labubus toys, further fuelling concerns over the treatment of workers in the country's burgeoning toy industry. The investigation by China Labor Watch found that Shunjia Toys, a factory with over 4,500 employees, was employing underage workers without proper protections and forcing them to sign blank contracts.
The researchers discovered that teenagers aged 16 and 17 were working exclusively on Labubus production lines, despite Chinese law requiring special safeguards for minors in such roles. However, these young workers were being treated like adult laborers, with no differentiation in workload or production targets, and were often left confused about the terms of their contracts.
Furthermore, the factory was found to have a culture of secrecy surrounding working conditions, with employees given only five minutes to complete employment contracts that included details of their salary, social insurance, and contract term. Workers reported unrealistic production targets, with teams of 25-30 laborers required to assemble over 4,000 Labubus per day, far exceeding the legally mandated monthly overtime limit.
China Labor Watch executive director Li Qiang has called on Pop Mart, the company behind Labubus, to strengthen its supply chain audit and oversight mechanisms to prevent such labor abuses. The investigation highlights the challenges faced by companies operating in China's manufacturing sector, where workers often face long hours for low pay with scant enforcement of labor protections.
The soaring demand for Labubus has also spawned a black market for counterfeit toys, known as Lafufus, which are produced by informal workers with zero oversight over working conditions. Li emphasized the need for Pop Mart to establish accessible grievance mechanisms and disclose its supply chain structure to enable meaningful oversight.
As the toy industry continues to grow in popularity globally, concerns over worker exploitation will likely remain a pressing issue. The findings from China Labor Watch serve as a stark reminder of the need for companies to prioritize transparency and accountability when it comes to their labor practices.
A labor rights NGO has uncovered evidence of worker exploitation at a Chinese factory producing the popular Labubus toys, further fuelling concerns over the treatment of workers in the country's burgeoning toy industry. The investigation by China Labor Watch found that Shunjia Toys, a factory with over 4,500 employees, was employing underage workers without proper protections and forcing them to sign blank contracts.
The researchers discovered that teenagers aged 16 and 17 were working exclusively on Labubus production lines, despite Chinese law requiring special safeguards for minors in such roles. However, these young workers were being treated like adult laborers, with no differentiation in workload or production targets, and were often left confused about the terms of their contracts.
Furthermore, the factory was found to have a culture of secrecy surrounding working conditions, with employees given only five minutes to complete employment contracts that included details of their salary, social insurance, and contract term. Workers reported unrealistic production targets, with teams of 25-30 laborers required to assemble over 4,000 Labubus per day, far exceeding the legally mandated monthly overtime limit.
China Labor Watch executive director Li Qiang has called on Pop Mart, the company behind Labubus, to strengthen its supply chain audit and oversight mechanisms to prevent such labor abuses. The investigation highlights the challenges faced by companies operating in China's manufacturing sector, where workers often face long hours for low pay with scant enforcement of labor protections.
The soaring demand for Labubus has also spawned a black market for counterfeit toys, known as Lafufus, which are produced by informal workers with zero oversight over working conditions. Li emphasized the need for Pop Mart to establish accessible grievance mechanisms and disclose its supply chain structure to enable meaningful oversight.
As the toy industry continues to grow in popularity globally, concerns over worker exploitation will likely remain a pressing issue. The findings from China Labor Watch serve as a stark reminder of the need for companies to prioritize transparency and accountability when it comes to their labor practices.
. Companies like Pop Mart gotta step up their game, ya know? I mean, we all love Labubus and Lafufus, but at what cost? These young workers are being taken advantage of, and it's just not right 
. It's like, the money we're saving by buying cheap toys online is basically built on someone else's suffering 
. We need to demand better from our favorite brands. I'm tired of hearing about these black markets and workers being forced to sign contracts without a clue what they're getting themselves into 
. It's time for Pop Mart to take responsibility and make some changes, you feel me? 
this is so messed up! I mean, who knew these cute toys were made by exploited kids 
. Pop Mart needs to step up and fix this ASAP 
. We need to see more transparency and accountability in the toy industry 
. Can't believe these companies prioritize profits over people 
. And can you imagine signing a contract in like 5 minutes? No thank you! It's like they're not even human beings at that age. We need to take a stand and make sure these companies are held accountable for their actions 
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. I mean, what kind of world do we live in where people have to choose between their jobs and their well-being? It's time for change, and I'm all for it! 
We need more companies like Pop Mart stepping up and saying "we're gonna do better" 
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Let's make some noise and demand more transparency from these companies. We deserve better 
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And the fact that Pop Mart is just sitting there with its fingers crossed waiting for someone else to take responsibility is completely unacceptable 
and the lack of transparency is crazy too - if companies can't even be bothered to give employees a few minutes to read their contracts, what else are they hiding? 
pop mart needs to step up its game and make sure these kinds of abuses don't happen again. we need to hold these companies accountable for their labor practices and make it easier for workers to speak out if something's not right. 
. Companies need to step up and make sure these workers are being treated fairly, with proper protections and safety measures in place. It's not just a moral issue, but a business one too - you don't want your brand reputation tarnished by scandals like this 
. Pop Mart needs to get its act together and make some changes ASAP 
pop mart needs to step up their game and make sure those contracts aren't blank and that these workers get treated with some respect 
and can you imagine working on production lines for 25-30 hours straight just to meet some arbitrary quota? no thanks 
. I mean, who hasn't played with those toys or bought one for their kid? And now we're telling China to fix its own problems? Come on, let the market handle it. If Pop Mart is getting raked over coals just because some NGO found a few bad apples, what about all the other factories in China that are producing legit stuff?
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i had no idea they were made by people working like 16-17 year olds with no protections 
china's manufacturing industry needs to step up its game and prioritize workers' rights 
pop mart needs to do better, this isn't just about labubus but about all the other toys they make too 
anyway, kudos to china labor watch for exposing this and i hope pop mart takes the necessary steps to address these issues 
those kids working 16+ hrs/day like adults r insane how can u turn a blind eye to exploitation n abuse?! china labor watch is like the real heroes here 
they gotta put pressure on ur company to clean up ur act or face public backlash 
the whole thing just stinks. pop mart needs to step up its game and do more than just apologize for now 
china labor watch is doing some serious reporting here 
can we pls get some real change, not just a PR stunt? 
do we really care about the labor that goes into making them? or are we just too caught up in getting the next cool thing to worry about how it was made? 
️ And to make matters worse, these underage workers in China are being treated like adults but with zero labor protections. It's wild how much demand for these toys is driving companies to cut corners on worker safety.