Barbie workers ‘suffer burnt hands and blistered skin’ in Chinese factory for 2p a doll

Barbie manufacturer Mattel have been accused bullying, harassment and unsafe working conditions on its factory floors in China, a new investigation alleges.

Investigators have been sent to the global toy giant’s factory in Dongguan, Southern China and said they found bullying, excessive overtime, sexual harassment and unsafe working environment. The factory manufactures Barbies and other Mattel products as well as toys based on Disney characters under licence.

Undercover footage from inside a Mattel factory, by Channel 4 Dispatches, has revealed the harsh realities faced by workers who produce the world’s most iconic doll.

The investigation alleges employees are given no safety briefing and forced to handle scalding hot plastic for Barbies without proper protective gear, resulting in burns and blisters.

It also claims factory workers are given “excessive production quotas”, whilst earning less than £17 for an 11-hour shift, and often forced to work over 100 hours of overtime per month.

A manager at the factory allegedly told employees:  “If you can’t finish our quota, if you can’t reach our standards, then I have to say: ‘Sorry, you go, go to another factory, you’re not welcome in Mattel’.”  

A factory employee told Dispatches: “Every day I feel so much pressure I cannot breathe. The manager said, in the Mattel Factory, you must obey orders unconditionally. The contract I signed is a labour contract, not a slave contract.”

Another worker said: “I have a family too and I have to get by. You get paid that little a month at the Mattel factory. I’m financially drained. I haven’t got a penny.”

An undercover reporter for Barbie’s Dirty Secrets: Dispatches said he was exhausted by his experience working on the factory floor. He added: “I worked for three days in total and was physically near my limit yesterday. I feel like this factory just doesn’t treat people like human beings. People are used as animals. It’s really hard work.:

Mattel, which owns over 200 brands and is valued at over £6billion, said it is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment and treating all employees “fairly and respectfully”. As a result of the programme, Mattel has begun an independent investigation into the issues.

Thulsi Narayanasamy, Director of International Advocacy at NGO Worker Rights Consortium said the alleged footage revealed “a workplace in which the workers themselves are being treated to be just as disposable as the dolls that they’re making”. 

A statement from Mattel in response to the investigation said: “Mattel is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment and ensuring that all employees throughout the company, including at our manufacturing facilities, are treated fairly and respectfully. The company invests significant resources to support our employees and ensure their wellbeing.

“ICTI CARE Foundation Inc., the organisation responsible for development and implementation of the Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP), regularly audits our toy manufacturing facilities to help ensure safety and workplace standards are met, and an additional independent investigation will be conducted to help ensure we are continuing to provide a safe and healthy working environment for our employees.”

Barbie’s Dirty Secrets: Dispatches airs Friday 11 October at 8pm on Channel 4