Pressure on Western firms to improve conditions at factories in China is paying off, experts say, with some firms granting workers rights that are still taboo for most employees in the Communist state.
After being faced with boycotts in the 1990s, many foreign companies adopted stricter labour codes to counter accusations by consumers and labour activists that the firms were operating sweatshop-style factories in developing countries.
Now factory managers in China supplying big retailers such as Nike say they regularly receive surprise audits, with inspectors turning up unannounced to question workers about their food, working hours, and even checking that their beds are a proper minimum size.
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