Hong Kong Disneyland, a venture arranged between Disney and the local Hong Kong government, opens today. But there are now allegations that the US media giant uses sweatshops to make its merchandise.

In videotaped interviews, workers from four factories in Guangdong Province tell Hong Kong-based Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour that they were made to do excessive overtime and paid below minimum wage, as low as US$0.33 per hour.

A Disney spokesperson said the company was not aware of the abuses. The company has hired an independent auditor to investigate the students' claims and has promised to redress any violations.