Deadly dust

China Labour Bulletin, paperback, 48 pages. Download from: www.clb.org.hk/fs/view/downloadables/Deadly_Dust_Dec2005.pdf

This report is the first in a series by the China Labour Bulletin (CLB), the best English language source of information on conditions faced by Chinese workers. But the CLB does not simply publish reports: it also campaigns alongside workers.

This booklet describes the silicosis epidemic among Chinese jewellery workers and their struggle for health and safety protection and compensation. The CLB followed over 100 cases where workers traced their ill health to their employers' disregard of China's occupational health and safety laws.

The World Health Organization said a decade ago that the annual death toll from silicosis in China is over 24,000. The report highlights the severe damage inflicted on workers' health by the demands and trajectory of China's current economic development.