This is a good resource--
china labor watch
There was a Chinese couple at the University of Minnesota Law Library the woman whom I supervised in re-cataloging of some books around 1990-1991. Her Americanized name was Joy and it sounded like her position in Chinese society was determined by the time she was 6 or so. Always found this level of control of someone's journey of life extremely unfair. Joy seemed to question it a bit too as she was thoroughly westernized but I will bet that many Chinese are very accepting of this fate. It's a very different world view.
I have never been to China though so will happily take in the opinions of people who have been there.
One thing I liked about the University of Minnesota Law Library was that it had a huge section devoted to Human Rights in other countries than the US like Human Rights in China. I even had the Human Right's Law Professor's
http://www.law.umn.edu/facultyprofiles/weissbrodtd.html assistant back around 1991 commend me about my fighting for right of access to practical information for survivors/victims of crimes. She told me to never give up even though I have had incredible hurdles myself to overcome many of these put up by the University of Minnesota staff and alumni and contacts of these. This woman's kind words certainly helped with me with my own journey. I do remember, however, Professor Weissbrodt fighting for me while I was at the University of Minnesota Law Library along with some other Professors.
Hopefully, the kindness of strangers will help with some of these Chinese laborers especially if they are coupled with international companies that will do something about improving their workers' lives.