The New Occupational Health and Safety Legislation in China taking effect January first comes a little too late for thousands of workers who have either lost their lives, limbs, or are dying in hospitals in China because of unsafe and inhumane labor conditions. Lung diseases, cancer, myelodysplastic anemia, leukemia, just to name a few of the diseases from prolonged exposure to toxic products such as benzene, solvent used in painting, cadmium used in batteries, and defective machinery and unsafe working conditions in the production of American Products sold not only in American markets but around Latin America and around the world as well is the result of greedy American entrepreneurs, seeking to make a dollar more who have taken their products to be produced by cheap labor to China, Korea, Taiwan, Italy and Mexico. Asia holding the worst labor conditions than any other part in the world.

This however is nothing new, back on March 1908; the triangle West Company based in New York had a fire where five hundred workers were trapped in the upper levels of the factory. One hundred and forty six died that day, the rest were severely burned. It was later known that the owner started the fire, but blamed it on one worker who threw a cigarette, being able to cash the insurance money for the factory.

There are more than 52,887 American investments in China with an investment value of 54,700 millions of dollars. Almost forty eight thousand products are made in China for and by American companies; furniture, electronics, clothing, shoes, toys, batteries, car parts, and jewelry to name a few.

According to the British Newspaper Mail on Sunday, Apple's iPod is produced in factories in China under inhumane labor conditions. The mail on Sunday reported that in the factory at Longhua known as the iPod City over 200,000 employees work, live and sleep in the factory doing ten to twelve hour shifts and getting paid no more than fifty dollars a month.
Other companies that have ensemble or production companies in China are Kathie Lee handbags for Wal-Mart, Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, Ralph Lauren, J.C. Penny, Casual Corner, Kmart, T.J. Max, Cherokee Jeans, Milano Label, Sears, Nike, Adidas and several toy factories like Mattel and Disney. The hourly wage is thirteen to twenty three cents an hour.

Children between the ages of twelve and seventeen are the ones producing the toys.

Factories don't have a fire exit, no ventilation; dormitories are dirty and hold ten

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