Sweatshops By: Sarah Galanos

What is a Sweatshop?

* A sweatshop is a common term used to refer to factories that typically produce apparel; that have very low wages by modern United States standards, long working hours, unsafe or unhealthy working conditions, and often don’t obey labor laws (Powell, 2014, p.109)

Interest in Topic• I became interested in this topic originally when we

first talked about Apple products in the beginning of the semester, and how workers commit suicide at work because they cannot handle the working conditions. I work in retail so whenever I would go to work and process stock I would wonder where these products came from and who was producing them. I would then look at the prices. I realized all of our products were priced extremely high; I wondered why that was. It then hit me the reason these products are priced so high, and we can sell them at these prices is because the people making these products are being paid next to nothing.

Facts About the Garment Industry

• Garment Industry is the most globalized in the world

• Reports that there are 200,000- 300,000 factories in the export apparel section

• They’re spread across almost every continento Biggest concentrations in Asia, particularly China and India, but many

factories are also in Southeast Asia and Central America

• (Esbenchade, 2012, p.542)

Facts About the Garment Industry

• Almost all brand name companies contract out all of their production to a far-flung network of companies

• Contract terms are short and brands rarely account for the majority of production in any given factoryo This means, factory owners are catering to a variety of clients all at

once. They have little to no assurance that any improvements they make within the factory will lead to a long- term commitment by the brand.

• Brands often times will also set unreasonable prices and schedules o This forces contractors into non-compliance with local laws and codes

because the pressure to produce low cost goods with quick turn-around leads to low wages and crazy hours for workers.

• (Esbenshade, 2012, p.542)

Characteristics of Sweatshops

• Low wageso Far below the living wage

• Abuse of workers by managemento Such as verbal abuse,

exploitation Ex.) Forcing pregnant women to work long hours , and sometimes physical threats

• Most of the time deprived of the right to unionize

• (Sacco, 2002, p.27)

• Long Drawn out Hours

• Not enough breaks given to workers

• Poor ventilation

• Have to operate dangerous machines as well as there are other hazardous health conditions that have to work under

• (Sacco, 2002, p.27)

Problems With Sweatshops • There is a failure of corporate responsibility when

tragedies happen (Appelbaum & Lichtenstein, 2014, p.60)o International brands and retailers have failed to take voluntary action

to prevent actions to prevent disasters such as fire and building collapses (Rahman, 2014, p.70)

• There are codes of conduct in place, and some have impact in terms of environmental standards and standardization of hours (Appelbaum & Lichtenstein, 2014, p.60)o However, there have been studies conducted by sociologists on the

grounds in Asia and elsewhere which found that such codes make no fundamental transformation in the way big retailers go about purchasing their goods, or the way contractors and sub-contractors go about purchasing them (Appelbaum & Lichtenstein, 2014, p.60)

Problems with Sweatshops Cont.

• Building permits are ignored resulting in the construction of poorly engineered multi-story factories, fire codes flouted, exit doors locked, and work hours lengthened (Appelbaum & Lichtenstein, 2014, p. 60)o Production facilities had been visited before and approved for

operation by inspectors who work for companies with well-established codes of conduct (Appelbaum & Lichtenstein, 2014, p. 60)

• Most multinational corporations do not accept responsibility for or see themselves as accountable for particular labor abuses that occur within the operations of their contractors because it does not fall within the boundaries of their own organization (Arnold & Hartman, 2006, p. 684).

So, Why do Sweatshops Exist?

• Larger Mega-companies such as Wal-Mart that are based out of and sell to markets in first world (mainly North America, Europe, and Far East) have made it a habit since the 1980’s to do what is known as “outsourcing.”o Outsourcing a company, for example in the United States, they will

sign a contract with one of the sweatshops, which are typically in third world countries, to make a certain amount of their products using that factory’s labor.

• This outsourcing then allows the company to save large amounts of money because it does not have to run its own factory nor pay its workers anything close to what they would if it were run in the United States.

• (Sacco, 2002, p.27)

Why Sweatshops Cont.• Due to this outsourcing, modern Mega-companies

such as Wal-Mart and Nike own far less property than before, but they make exponentially larger amounts of profits.

• The Products made in these oversea factories are then shipped to commercial stores in the United States, and are sold for prices that are much higher in comparison to what it costs to make them.o This results in the company, CEO’s, and those in office to make greater

amounts of money and profit than before while workers are still being paid minimum wage. This means only those at the top benefit from this.

• (Sacco, 2002, p.27-28).

How this relates to Human Rights

• Article 23 of the UN Declaration of Independence states, (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment . (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence of worthy of human dignity, and supplement, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests (Universal Declaration of Independence)o Employees of Multinational Corporations contractor factories earn less

than the employees of Multinational Corporation- owned factories and work under more adverse conditions (Arnold & Hartman, 2006, p. 684).

o Part of allure overseas contracts was a lower cost structure, in part the result of fewer legal requirements and lax regulatory requirements (Arnold & Hartman, 2006, p.684).• Companies take production overseas because the cost of

production is cheaper, and they do not hold themselves responsible for the work conditions or what goes on over there because it is not done within their own boarders.

o Many times sweatshop workers are denied the opportunity or right to unionize as well (Sacco, 2002, p. 27)

How this Relates to Human Rights

Cont.

• Article 24, of the UN Declaration of Human Rights states, Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.o Those who work in sweatshops are forced to work long drawn

out hours, with minimal breaks, in unsafe and hazardous conditions, and have few, if any, days off (Sacco, 2002, p. 27).

o The amount sweatshop workers get paid is minimal considering the amount of hours they work, and what their work requirement or quotas are (Sacco, 2002, p. 27). • They are paid so little that it is below the living wage which

they can survive on (Sacco, 2002, p. 27).

So What? How does this relate to us?

• When a person in the first world buys a pair of pants from one of these stores, it increases the demand of those pants to be made in the factory on the other side of the globe (Sacco, 2002, p.28).o This perpetuates the use of sweatshops, and it places larger

quota burdens on the people working in sweatshops (Sacco, 2002, p.28).

• What we do in the United States such as buying a pair of pants directly effects those people in say Bangladesh or China who are making the pants.

Recommendations • Investigate and expose where companies are

outsourcing, and how they are getting their products (from where, under what conditions, etc.) (Appelbaum & Lichtenstein, 2014, p. 60)o Companies fear that a decline in their “reputational” status

might damage them with millions of consumers (Appelbaum & Lichentenstein, 2014, p. 60).

• Stop the Demando Defy all such companies and refuse to do business with them

as much as you possibly can (Sacco, 2014, p. 28)

• Educate yourself and learn the dimensions of the issue of sweatshops; as well as what companies are using them (Sacco, 2014, p. 28).

• Use non-violent tactics to draw power out of the hand of those in control/ charge (companies) (Sacco, 2014, p. 28)o This shows that you care about the topic, and that is of importance to

you

Works Cited• Arnold, D. G. & Hartman, L. P.(2006). Worker Rights and Low Wage

Industrialization: How to Avoid Sweatshops. Human Rights Quarterly 28(3), 676-700. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved December 10, 2014, from Project MUSE database.

• Appelbaum, R., & Lichtenstein, N. (2014). An Accident in History. New Labor Forum (Sage Publications Inc.), 23(3), 58-65.

• Esbenshade, J. (2012). A Review of Private Regulation: Codes and Monitoring in the Apparel Industry. Sociology Compass, 6(7), 541-556.

• Powell, B. (2014). Meet the Old Sweatshops. Independent Review, 19(1), 109-122.

• Rahman, M. Z. (2014). Accord on "Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh": A Breakthrough Agreement?. Nordic Journal Of Working Life Studies, 4(1), 69-74.

• Sacco, S. (2002). Defying the Sweatshop, Sociologically Speaking. Human Architecture: Journal Of The Sociology Of Self-Knowledge, 1(2), 27-36.

• “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The UN and Human Rights. Un News Center. N.d. Web 26 Aug. 2014.