China CSR Watch

By China CSR Watch (www.csrcsr.com)

Three Chinese companies, China Mobile, Haier, and Lenovo, made into Business Week’s 14 Asia’s most admired companies. Other winners are Canon, Nintendo, and Toyota from Japan; NHN, Posco, and Samsung Electronics from Korea; Singapore Airlines and Singapore Telecom from Singapore; and HDFC, Infosys, and Wipro from India.

“There’s no shortage of Asian companies that have prospered thanks to a laser-like focus on their home markets. But what wins enough fans to land on BusinessWeek’s list of most admired companies in Asia is success overseas,” writes Bruce Einhorn, correspondent from Business Week.

Sources (in English and Chinese)
Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jul2007/gb2007076_238945.htm
Sina.com: http://tech.sina.com.cn/it/2007-07-10/14551607944.shtml

By China CSR Watch (www.csrcsr.com)

According to a research published by Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control on June 27th 2007, 77% MNCs in China refuse to recruite hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, and 96% require compulsory blood test.

The research surveyed 115 branches or JVs of 98 MNCs in China, covering 11 cities. The companies named in the report for refusing to recruite HBV carriers include Motorola, Siemens, Phillips, Foxconn, Sony, Samsung.

“Although most MNCs have global policies that require them not to discriminate based health conditions, their Chinese branches lack the application and supervision of their global policies,” the research explains.

HBV is a social problem in China. It is estimated that 120 million people, around 10% of the total population in China, are HBV carriers. Although HBV can only be transmitted through blood, mother-infant, or sex, most Chinese still have the perception that HBV is highly contagious and refuse to live or work with HBV carriers. Until recently, even many government branches refuse to hire HBV carriers.

On May 30th, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour and Social Security jointly issued a memo stating that employers can not refuse recruiting or lay off employees due to HBV, except in some special positions regulated by relevant laws and regulations.

Chinese HBV carriers are increasingly agreesive in protecting their rights in recent months. In May, a job applicant sued Nokia for discrimination. In July, 4 college graduates sued Foxconn for discrimination during recruiting.

Sources (in Chinese and English):
Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control: http://www.cfhpc.net/static/html/200762791826.html
Xinghua: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2007-05/30/content_6174757.htm
Nanfang City News: http://tech.tom.com/2007-06-27/06MP/31160236.html
Financial Times: http://www.ftchinese.com/sc/story_english.jsp?id=001010048&loc=story
China Youth Daily: http://news.sohu.com/20070515/n250019069.shtml