Walt Disney Co. and McDonald's Corp., whose supply chain has drawn criticism, quietly released a long-promised report on a pilot project to improve labor conditions in China. The project, involving 10 factories in southern China that make products for McDonald's restaurants and Disney licensees, tested a new approach for addressing such chronic problems as substandard wages, excessive work hours and few days off. The May 7 report, posted on Disney's website without a formal announcement from the company, found progress at all the factories, which made footwear, toys and other products. The report's completion was touted by organizations that worked with the companies to improve global working conditions. The report is silent on whether Disney or McDonald's plans to implement the new approach more broadly.
See "Disney and McDonald's move to improve labor conditions in China", Dawn C. Chmielewski, Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2008