You know those small, gremlin-like plushies called Labubus that have taken over the globe by storm, launching a Beanie Baby-esque secondary market with soaring prices? While “blind boxes” — where buyers aren’t clued in to which one they’re getting — can go for as little as $20, more sought-after models are selling for up to $10,000.
But beyond their sky-high resale price, the viral collectibles may come with a steep humanitarian cost as well. As The Guardian reports, New York-based labor rights group China Labor Watch (CLW) has accused the toys’ maker, Chinese toy manufacturer Pop Mart, of employing 16- and 17-year-olds without offering them the necessary labor protections required by Chinese law.
The group also alleges that these young workers aren’t given adequate health and safety training, among other labor rights violations at the company’s factory in Jiangxi province.
The facility employs more than 4,500 workers and is a “key supplier” for Pop Mart’s Labubus, according to CLW. As detailed in a press release, the non-governmental organization sent representatives to the factory last year for an investigation and identified “key labor issues” through “on-site worker interviews and document review.”
The group’s investigation found “no labor union or effective grievance mechanism, alongside widespread reports of bullying by management, verbal sexual harassment, and worker concerns regarding living and dining conditions.”
“The underage workers also generally did not understand the nature of the contracts they signed, and had no clear concept of their legal status when asked,” CLW wrote.
As a result, the group is calling on Shunjia Toys, Pop Mart’s Original Equipment Manufacturer that runs the factory, to take “immediate action,” urging it to compensate workers fairly and ensure that it “complies with both Chinese labor law and internationally recognized labor standards.”
Allegations of labor rights violations aimed at Chinese manufacturers are nothing new. Plenty of other companies have also been accused of using child labor. There have also been widespread reports of forced labor in the country’s Xinjiang region, largely affecting the Uyghur and other ethnic minorities.
Meanwhile, Pop Mart has seen its revenues soaring thanks to the Labubu craze, and is expected to meet its targeted revenue goal of more than $4 billion for 2025.
The scale of the Labubu craze is astonishing. The company’s revenues from plush products exploded by over 1,200 percent last year, accounting for almost half of the company’s total revenue.
But given the latest news, collectors should be aware that there could be a much darker story hidden behind their latest acquisition.
Shunjia Toys has not responded to The Guardian nor the BBC’s request for comment.
