Let's Stop Unfair Labor

I want to make consumers aware of the many products they buy that were made in extremely poor working conditions. A large amount of the products that we purchase are from companies who often produce their products in foreign countries because they can access cheaper labor there. This cheap labor is available mainly in developing countries where there is a lack of enforced labor laws or a greater population of poor people who are willing to work for subsistence wages. Because of the economic desperation and/or lack of protection of the workers, working conditions in many factories are deplorable.

The prevalence of poor working conditions and forced labor finds its way back to the U.S. and its consumers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of 2012, 134 goods from 74 countries are made by child and/or forced labor. These goods include garments, cotton, electronics, food products, and toys from countries like Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.

One example is Uzbekistan, the 3rd largest exporter of cotton, who notoriously uses child and forced labor in poor working conditions to pick cotton. This cotton is then used by companies like Hanes, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters.

In a 2011 publication, the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers' Federation examined working conditions in factories producing multinational brands and retailers such as adidas, GAP, Nike, Speedo, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. These are all brands that Americans are familiar with and often purchase. However, in making these products, some workers in Indonesia illegally receive wages so low that they "would have to work 15-20 years to achieve a loyalty bonus sufficient to make up for [the wages]," but they do not ever receive such bonuses. In one factory in the Philippines, "workers were forced to pay a monthly levy to management if they wanted access to drinking water."

A 2012 report done by the Institute for Global and Human Rights discussed the recent fire at a factory in Bangladesh that resulted in the death of 112 workers. This fire was preventable, but there were no fire escapes, sprinklers, or fire extinguishers in the building. The padlocked exits forced the workers to stay inside the burning building. In a factory in Shenzhen, China that violated every single labor law, a similar fire happened one month later. The conditions there were appalling, but since this factory made products for Walmart and Disney, over $23 billion worth of those goods made its way to America this past holiday season.

There are countless other factories around the world that are characterized by similarly horrifying conditions and give their products to companies to sell. Many people who buy products from these companies are unaware of the slave-like conditions under which some of them were made. I think that this is a problem because consumers have the right to know the backgrounds on things they buy. I hope to use this blog as a database of information of unfair labor conditions, labor standards, and alternative products. It's a small step, but I hope this will have a big impact on workers around the world.