Chinese Maker of Ivanka Trump’s Shoes Looks for Cheaper Labor -
By KEITH BRADSHERJUNE 1, 2017
DONGGUAN, China — The Chinese factory workers who make shoes for Ivanka Trump and other designers gather at 7:40 every morning to sing songs.
A former drill sergeant in the Chinese military who sometimes leads his workers on parade-ground drills, Mr. Zhang
says work like making shoes will never return to the United States and is increasingly difficult in China as well.
China Labor Watch, the advocacy group investigating the factories, said it found
that employees had worked longer weeks than Chinese labor law allows, even excluding breaks.
Asked about the accusation from China Labor Watch, he said Huajian scheduled extra hours during busy times but paid workers according to the law.
Mr. Zhang said that his company kept working hours within legal limits, despite workers who want more overtime pay.
Mr. Zhang said that workers currently earn $525 to $580 per month, including overtime pay
but not including company-paid benefits like medical insurance and housing subsidies.