Sweatshops: Wage and Labor Conditions
Sweatshops
Global economics operate at an extremely expedient pace. Producing goods and services efficiently and quickly is the focus of thousands of corporations. These corporations are constantly competing to gain an advantage that will increase profits. Opportunities for capital investment and expansion are discovered daily. Unfortunately, many times these massive corporations can be linked to unjust labor practices occurring in developing countries. Companies such as Nike, Microsoft, and Apple have all had to handle claims that their factories or subsidiaries violate various labor laws. Situations such as these exist across the globe. Basic human rights are violated and vulnerable individuals are thrust into a life style that no person desires. However, are there implicit benefits for all parties involved? Some believe these conditions are necessary for profitable production. Others protest the severe exploitation of individuals from developing countries. Regardless of a particular position, it is crucial that sweatshops be investigated for economic efficiency and moral justification. The term sweatshop has been in society for many generations. In actuality it is a term that is hard to define. Often times a sweatshop does not want to be discovered. The factories are not highly publicized or placed in the public eye. The U.S. General Accounting Office defines a sweatshop as “any employer who violates more than one federal or state labor law” (Wiki). However, it is often difficult to measure the magnitude of sweatshops around the world because they do not want to be classified as such. By definition, a sweatshop is a factory or manufacturer that is operating illegally under federal or local labor laws. One problem that arises with this definition is that there are different laws and regulations for different countries. Enforcement of stricter labor laws may not be plausible in countries that have a larger concentration of sweatshops. These labor violations are
Global economics operate at an extremely expedient pace. Producing goods and services efficiently and quickly is the focus of thousands of corporations. These corporations are constantly competing to gain an advantage that will increase profits. Opportunities for capital investment and expansion are discovered daily. Unfortunately, many times these massive corporations can be linked to unjust labor practices occurring in developing countries. Companies such as Nike, Microsoft, and Apple have all had to handle claims that their factories or subsidiaries violate various labor laws. Situations such as these exist across the globe. Basic human rights are violated and vulnerable individuals are thrust into a life style that no person desires. However, are there implicit benefits for all parties involved? Some believe these conditions are necessary for profitable production. Others protest the severe exploitation of individuals from developing countries. Regardless of a particular position, it is crucial that sweatshops be investigated for economic efficiency and moral justification. The term sweatshop has been in society for many generations. In actuality it is a term that is hard to define. Often times a sweatshop does not want to be discovered. The factories are not highly publicized or placed in the public eye. The U.S. General Accounting Office defines a sweatshop as “any employer who violates more than one federal or state labor law” (Wiki). However, it is often difficult to measure the magnitude of sweatshops around the world because they do not want to be classified as such. By definition, a sweatshop is a factory or manufacturer that is operating illegally under federal or local labor laws. One problem that arises with this definition is that there are different laws and regulations for different countries. Enforcement of stricter labor laws may not be plausible in countries that have a larger concentration of sweatshops. These labor violations are
Bibliography: Breslow, Marc. (1995, November/December). Crimes of Fashion: Those Who Suffer to Bring You Gap T-Shirts. Dollars and Sense. Fleming, Ryan. “Microsoft Accused of Using Sweatshop Labor.” Digital Trends. 22, 2010 Kristof, Nicholas A. “Where Sweatshops are a Dream.” New York Times. Jan. 14, 2009. 21 Sept Ojo, Bolaji, and Charlie Barnhart. "Fallout from the Foxconn suicides." Electronic Engineering Times 1583 (2010): 4 Workers Rights Consortium. Mission. 23 Sept. 2010. <http://www.workersrights.org/about/>.