When Wal‐Mart and the Chinese dormitory labour regime meet: a study of three toy factories in China

Abstract

This paper analyses the characteristics of the dormitory labour regime in China's post‐socialist period and the collusion of this regime in the process of the ‘Wal‐Martization’ of global toy production. This collusion has shaped labour relations and CSR labour practices in China. This paper focuses on three factories, located in the industrial zone of Shenzhen, South China, that supply toys to Wal‐Mart. It begins with an examination of the dormitory labour regime supporting China's exports and then investigates the ‘Wal‐Martization’ of the global toy industry. The effect of Wal‐Mart's bargain‐driven business model on the dormitory labour regime has reshaped China as ‘the world's workshop’ and changed its position in the international division of labour. An analysis of the nature and characteristics of Wal‐Mart's corporate social responsibility (CSR) model, which is based on providing only the ‘legal minimum,’ and its impact on factory labour relations in China will follow. 摘要: ：本文试图揭示中国后社会主义时期宿舍劳动体制的逻辑， 并分析其与国际玩具行业生产的“沃尔玛化”是如何重塑中国劳动关系和改造企业社会责任的劳动实践。 本文来源于作者对中国深圳工业区三家沃尔玛玩具供应商工厂的研究。 首先， 我们试图将中国出口加工业区的宿舍劳动体制概念化， 并呈现世界玩具行业“沃尔玛化”的特质， 讨论沃尔玛“天天平价”的商业模式与中国宿舍劳动体制是如何相互结合、共同铸就中国“世界工厂”的地位以及在世界劳动分工体系中的位置。 最后我们对沃尔玛“合法最低主义”的企业社会责任模式进行批判并讨论其对于中国工厂劳动关系的影响。