Dear Mr. Victor Lo Chung Wing,
On behalf of the International Metalworkers' Federation, which represents 25 million metalworkers worldwide, I am writing to express my deep concern about the health and safety of your workers and the working conditions at your Gold Peak Industries factories in Huizhou-city, in the province Guangdong, South-China.
I understand that Gold Peak is one of China’s leading battery factories and yet, the plants in Huizhou have a shocking history of health and safety violations as well as long working hours.
Specifically, the IMF is disturbed to learn that more than 400 workers at Gold Peak's factories are suffering from high levels of exposure to the cancer-causing chemical cadmium, as a result of handling the chemical without protective clothing or proper safety instruction. Furthermore, we have learned that Gold Peak refuses to grant adequate compensation for sick workers who are ill as a result of making your batteries, nor is the distribution of medical compensation fair or transparent.
We ask that you address this situation immediately and give full and fair compensation to all workers who now and in the future suffer from cadmium poisoning. We strongly urge you to pressure the Chinese management to ensure proper protective wear and training for all Gold Peak workers and maintain a high level of health and safety standards in all Gold Peak factories around the world.
We look forward to your response.