More than 53,000 enslaved workers used in brick kilns

Asianews.it: More than 53,000 enslaved workers used in brick kilns (HT: Presbyweb)

Involvement of officials and policemen in the slave trade is increasingly evident. To repair the damage, China's legislature will likely pass a new labour law in the next few days. The parents of 400 missing children launch a new internet appeal.

Beijing (AsiaNews) – Brick kilns and mines at the centre of a slave labour scandal used more than 53,000 illegal migrant workers, a Xinhua reported today. Fan Duixiang, a senior member of the Shanxi provincial congress, said investigations found that 2,036 of the 3,347 firms it had raided were operating without the necessary licences and illegally using 53,036 migrant workers.

Xinhua said added that lawmakers of the People’s National Congress were likely to pass a new labour law in the next few days to try and prevent a repeat of the scandal.

The top legislative body wants to stop the waves of criticism and accusations at government officials considered part of the slave labour network. In the last few days involvement by local officials and police in covering up and taking advantage of the network become more evident. …