Bicycle Fixation Weblog
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04/10/2007: "Google, China, and Labor Law"
Yesterday, I posted a reference to an article that incuded Google among the US corporations lobbying against a proposed Chinese labor law reform that could greatly improve the lot of China's working people. I also noted that it seemed unlikely that Google, of all large companies, would actually support such a lobbying effort, and that I would see what I could dig up about their involvement.The Business and Human Rights Resource Center invited Google to respond to the assertions about its involvement in this disgusting effort, and they did:
Google response to concerns regarding amendments to Chinese labour lawSo it looks like Google's off the hook, and I'll keep their ads on Bicycle Fixation for now...but I'll keep my eyes open too. Talk is cheap....
16 January 2007
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Google to respond to concerns raised about opposition by industry groups to proposed reforms to Chinese labour law, including in the Global Labor Strategies report, “Behind the Great Wall of China”, available at:
www.business-humanrights.org.
Andrew McLaughlin, senior policy counsel at Google, provided the following response:Google has taken no position on labor law reform in China. Our presence in China is small but growing, and we haven't studied this issue in any depth that would enable us to have an intelligent opinion about it.
We belong to numerous large-scale trade and industry associations, and don't necessarily agree with every position they take on every issue.
