Li Wei-zhong: My Grim Experience in the Dusty Jewelry Sweatshop

The Way to Doom - Never Forget the Inhumane Factory Life

"When I was in jail, I had already noticed that my health was much poorer than before. My chest felt pain and kept coughing all the time. I just misconstrued the poor health was caused by the brutal beating of jailers. I was discharged from the jail in 1999, the judge said it was a misjudgment and I should be innocent. In year 2000, I conducted a rough examination and the result was tuberculosis. Actually, it is silicosis."

Mr. Li Wei-zhong, 42-year-old, a peasant migrant worker come from Chongqing Province of China. In 1991, he quitted his teaching position in his hometown and started his long journey in a modern city, Shenzhen, the experimental zone of capitalism located in the Pearl River Delta of China. He had a dream at that time: to found his own business by working hard and learning new technique in the strange city.

In October 1991, he started to work in a factory named Lucky Gems & Jewelry. He learnt gemstone-cutting in the beginning and earned about US$16.9 per month. As experience accumulated, he was promoted to a senior position a year later. The working condition was not concerned by the management. He had to work for 12 hours per day with only inferior facemask provided as protection. The work place had inadequate ventilation system and there was no medical check-up or health and safety training provided for workers at all. The conditions remain the same from 1991 to 1995.

In 1995, Li was suddenly accused of stealing jewelry in the workplace and was sentenced to about 4 years of custody. Actually, the offence was purely a frame-up. His wife rushed about and around to redress the injustice. After official removal of the unjust sentence, his weak body drove him into another dead corner.

At first, an erroneous diagnosis of tuberculosis was made by a local clinic. Li spent all his saving for an 18 months treatment to cure the "TB" but had no effect. He returned to Chengdu City and conducted another examination with other ex-colleagues in year 2003. Finally, it was verified that he was suffering from the incurable occupational chronic disease, silicosis stage II+.

At that moment, the factory had already relocated to Huizhou City of Guangdong Province. The manager denied any liability of occupational compensation. Li tried to seek help from the Chinese legal system. He gathered a number of victims to meet the authorities in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and even Beijing - where the central government located. However, no help was ever given and they were letdown again and again.

"When I went to Guangdong Provincial government, she asked me to go to the Shenzhen government. My case passed through the first trial and second trial in Shenzhen, the judge announced my loss of the lawsuit at last, because the factory was already relocated. I told myself: ¡¥I am running to the end of my life as most of the silicosis victims cannot live long. I already went through all legal procedures but in vain. I have to meet the boss; I have to clarify this issue with him face to face! In this plight, if my boss doesn't give me compensation, I won't let him go. A life for a life!' I borrowed a few ten thousand dollars from my relatives and friends to remedy the illness. My family had already spent all the money. There was no way out! I don't have the ability to pay the school fee for my children. My 70-year-old father is sick abed, my wife works as a cook and I am a security guard in a construction site. I never fear death but I have to considering my family's living."

He loses the confidence towards the legal system, he said: "According to the state regulations, this disease should be compensated with millions of dollars, but it has never been realized."

Finally, Li and other victims found help from a Hong Kong labour civil society group. He was arranged to pay a trip to the Hong Kong headquarter of the factory with some other victims, and they blocked the operations of the Hong Kong office with the support of some Hong Kong trade union and civil society organization. The boss of the factory was forced to sit down and negotiated with the them. After several rounds of negotiations, he finally got around USD24,000 compensation.

"We are workers from rural China, we only want to earn our living. We had never learned that the jewellery industry could ruin one's life. If I known that I would not work in it."

(Written by Jane Tam on 26th March 2005. The interview was conducted on 21st March 2005)