A TOY STORY:

China makes 70 per cent of the world's toys.
Its exports, now worth .5bn (pounds 4.7bn) annually, have doubled in eight years.
China exports nearly bn of plastic Christmas trees, ornaments and lights, tinsel, plastic angels and bells, Santa suits, framed pictures of Jesus and Bible scenes.
Toy factories in china are owned by the likes of Disney, Mattel (makers of Barbie), Hasbro, McDonald's, and Warner Bros.
All major US retail shops carry toys manufactured in these factories: Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Target and the like.

A TOY WORKER'S STORY:

Average age of a worker in a typical Chinese toy factory: between 12 and 15.
Typical wage of workers in Asian toy factories: from as little as 6 cents an hour up to .40 (U.S.) a day
Typical number of hours worked in a day during busy periods: up to 19
Typical number of days worked per week: 6
Young Workers work all day long in 104-degree temperatures, handling toxic glues, paints, and solvents. Workers weakened by illness and pregnant workers, who are supposed to have legal protection, are forced to resign.
Typical profile of workers in these factories are single young women migrants from rural areas to the cities in search of jobs. Workers live in dormitories built above the factory. 16 workers share one small dorm room.

Workers conditions during peak seasons such as Christmas are worse than other times in the year.
"The working hours are long and the pressure is terrible. My team has to finish 45,000 units every day. During the peak season we usually work until midnight every day. We have no day off. Now we are working a night shift, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., because of a big new order. The overnight work avoids the inspection of the client, but it makes us very tired. We can't help dozing off, and for that we are fined 30 to 40 rmb' (US .62 to .83)."
Worker from the spraying department in a company that produces "Happy Meal" toys for McDonald's ('Toys of Misery')