The Chinese factory that manufactures shoes for Nike, Kenneth Cole, Timberland and other top-line bands saw over 5,000 of their employees walk out this week, demanding that the company pays for their housing and improved conditions in the factories.
The Stella Shoe Co., located in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan, started the strike on Sunday, but it continued to grow in numbers by Tuesday and has now gained international media attention.
One of the witnesses, who goes by Pansuwei0522 said that riot police and dogs were brought in to suppress the striking workers.
“On the 10th [of March], the local government dispatched a large number of police dogs brought to the facility to pressure workers to return to their jobs,”they said.
According to China Labor Watch, the New York-based human rights organization, some of the workers were attacked by dogs and were later sent the bill for the treatment they received in the hospital. Some workers reported that they were hit by cars and attacked by police.
The protests are still ongoing and negotiations are looking bleak.
John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war.
