"China Blues" - Documentary Focuses on Working Conditions

I recently saw the award-winning documentary film "China Blues," by director Micha Peled. Currently being screened in San Francisco, the film, originally released in 2005, is again raising questions about ethical trade. The documentary chronicles the journey of young Jasmine, who takes a job as a thread cutter at a jeans factory in Shaxi, Canton. We meet her dorm mates, who help her adjust to life at the factory and teach her the ropes, such as where to find tea that will help you stay awake for 2AM overtime, and not to forget your ID card or risk being fined.

The film seeks to portray the typical experience of the migrant worker in China, as Jasmine represents the many who have left the family farm to seek manufacturing employment in large urban centers. Of course, the real heart of the story is the working conditions themselves.

"We never miss a deadline even if our workers keep working all night." – Lifeng factory salesperson.

As the story progresses, some of the typical challenges of workplace conditions being to present themselves. The food is bland. The work hours are long and there never seems enough time for rest. Running low on the money her father gave her, Jasmine finds out her first month of pay is late. The tensions over pay even lead to a brief work stoppage.

But we are not led to despise Mr. Lam, the factory owner. Instead, we are shown first hand the intense pressure Lam receives from his international buyers. He comes off as a victim to the thin margins and tough competition that has come to be known as the reality of the apparel business.

For those of us in the world of responsible sourcing, also to be noted is the much-quoted interview with Dr. Liu Kaiming of the Institute of Contemporary Observation. An NGO and a social compliance monitor as well, Liu claims that inspectors from multinationals rarely find problems. (Assuming he is not including his own work on behalf of international brands, I must disagree on behalf of social compliance professionals. I think all monitors would universally agree that most apparel facilities in China will have some kind of non-compliance, some abuse, some issue or finding and the vast majority have many such issues!) Liu also accuses retailers of playing an "elaborate game" with suppliers, because, according to him, retailers do not really want to improve conditions, only reassure consumers.

Peled films workers demonstrating how they used to clip their eyes open with clothespins to stay awake during overtime. The image is followed by this text, "A factory that allowed its workers adequate rest and paid minimum wage would not be able to compete. The major brands demand such low prices that factories must violate international labor standards." Peled’s message is clear: brands need to change the way they get their products. And consumers need to make brands listen.

For the general public, this film seems to have a clear impact, providing what to some is surprising insight into the world of apparel manufacturing. Reviews are filled with shocked commentaries from those unfamiliar with working conditions in China, or even in US apparel shops in the heart of San Francisco for that matter. In a recent interview, Peled indicates that buying jeans made in the US would be a good alternative to supporting exploitative practices. Obviously, he is not aware of the labor conditions and challenges for workers in the sweatshop centers in his own backyard. Apparel factory owners in L.A., San Francisco, and New York pioneered time card falsification, coaching of employees, and other methods Peled highlights in his film. What is the best alternative, then? For myself, I look for companies that approach labor conditions through a wide range of efforts, including monitoring, training, and stakeholder engagement, for where one has its weakness, another has its strength.

Finally, since I started assessing factories in China in 1997, there are obviously few surprises for me in this film. So what do I take as the most compelling message from this film? Retailers and brands need to get their buyers on board with their social compliance program. This may include performance incentives for buyers, a concept currently being explored by a number of brands. Also, suppliers need to be encouraged to look at their business from a new perspective. Is hiring a second shift a better choice than regularly working the same workers until 2AM with one rest day per month? Many of these choices don’t even make business sense. Factory owners like Mr. Lam, the retired police chief in Shaxi, (someone with no prior business expertise - a common lot for many China entrepreneurs), simply need some Business 101 to help them make some core improvements to their business practices.

All that said, do I recommend this film? Absolutely: A winner of the Amnesty International Human Rights Award, this film is a must see. Whether you have already seen China factories first hand or not, there is something for you in this film.

For some recent reviews and interviews with Micha Peled:

http://dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=22645

http://www.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_5023532

http://www.greencine.com/article?action=view&articleID=394

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/alameda_county/montclair/16444238.htm