Investigators probing the working conditions at the a Chinese company that manufactures Ivanka Trump-brand shoes have been arrested and quite possibly worse, alleges an advocacy group concerned about recent developments.
The Associated Press reports that three men investigating the business practices of the company have been declared arrested or missing following a probe into the Ivanka-affiliated company. (Earlier this month, Ivanka was under fire over claims regarding the company’s twelve-and-a-half (or longer) hour workdays and minimal pay.) Deng Guilian says her husband Hua Haifeng was arrested and accused of illegal surveillance. Two other men investigating the company, Li Zhao and Su Heng, have been conspicuously out of contact. The AP notes that they’ve also been unable to reach the families of the investigators.
“Our plan was to investigate the factory to improve the labor situation,” said China Labor Watch Executive Director Li Qiang. “But now it has become more political.”
China Labor Watch were initially planning on releasing a report highlighting allegations of miserable pay and unreasonable hours.
Allegations of unfair labor practices in China are certainly nothing new (even with a changing economic culture) and the affiliation with a major U.S. figure with unfettered access to the President of the United States only adds more questions about this particular development. We would suggest that this sort of story does no favors for Ivanka Trump’s image, but there hasn’t been a pulled Jenga block that has hurt her among the Trump devotee base.
(Via ABC News)