When a factory collapsed on 1,129 workers, the world stood still. When a factory fire consumed more than 100 people alive with no means of escape, the world stood silent. But these tragedies did not happen in the Industrial Revolution or a time of basic technology — they happened in the past few years. Labor rights have been forgotten in pursuit of profit, and it’s about time the world spoke up.
In 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing employees who had been told to work months after the building had been deemed vulnerable to collapse. The workers were mostly young girls who sewed clothes for popular Western brands such as Sears, Walmart and Disney for $9 a week.
All across the globe, outsourced production has had immeasurable costs. Men, women and children have become the victims of less-than-livable wages and inhumane labor conditions in order for companies to produce the cheapest product for their consumer. In the cases of some, what seems like a way to make a living ends up being the way they lose their lives.
A 2013 exposé by the International Labor Rights Forum revealed that companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret and Starbucks all use sweatshops and underage labor abroad. By allowing for production in places from Bangladesh to Uzbekistan, companies are able to maximize their profit by lowering costs, and the product is cheaper for the American consumer back home.
So, merchandise at a bargain price must be a win for all parties involved, right? Well, not exactly. The brunt of the impact is felt by the low-wage workers, whose safety regulations are compromised by a need for quicker and cheaper manufacturing.
The LA Times reported in March of 2014 that government officials and local factory owners have been bribed to abandon safety measures with the promise of more money. In factories in Bangladesh, basic working conditions such as reliable equipment and wages don’t exist. When they do, no one is there to oversee that they are enforced. The results are disasters like the Rana Plaza collapse, the loss of countless lives, and significant economic losses and social condemnation for the companies involved.
Nonetheless, supporters of outsourced labor claim that sweatshops help employees from poverty, since even an unsafe job is better than no work at all.
“A capitalist is always going to tell you the people who work in sweatshops are making this decision because it’s better than whatever job opportunities they had before,” Social Science teacher Kelly Aull said. “But really in today’s world, there’s no reason why people should be working in deplorable conditions. We should have safety measures. We should have a livable wage. There’s no reason for it.”
Technology is incomparable, opportunities are abounding and multilateral cooperation is at its peak. Nevertheless, we are still involved in this parasitic practice of quasi-servitude, where large corporations profit, while those in developing countries are harmed.
Despite this, companies keep using cheap labor, and consumers continue to buy their goods.
“I like Macy’s and Forever 21 because they have good discounts,” junior Sarina Kothari said. “I can get lots of clothes for cheap prices, and they’re cute.”
Kothari is like most shopppers — we get lured into shops by the red clearance posters. We swoon over adorable $5 tops. When complimented on a new necklace, we make a point to say we got it at a shopping-savvy deal. What we seem to be unaware of is that there is a reason for the bargain, and it’s not as sweet a deal as it might appear.
So, what can the average consumer do to combat labor abuses abroad?
“I think being aware of where your products are produced is the first step,” Aull said. “You gotta look for where these manufacturing facilities are. Then, if you can, choose products that aren’t made in places with very few safety regulations…If you make it clear to companies that you would be willing to pay more for products that are produced more safely, then I think most companies will respond to that.”
Consumers should look to companies within the Fair Labor Association (FLA), an organization working to establish humane labor practices globally. Participating corporations include H&M, Apple and Adidas, which are required to meet strict labor standards by the FLA.
Consumer awareness is important, but it needs to be accompanied by governmental and multilateral action to improve labor conditions. By working with companies, global standards for worker rights can be created. This should come with an enforcement mechanism, such as a safety advisory board, in order to guarantee that standards are met.
Though the government has been pushing for big-name retailers like Walmart and Gap to improve worker rights, they have not been heeding their own advice.
A New York Times report in December of 2013 found that factories in Haiti, Cambodia and Bangladesh make the uniforms for federal workers, while violating basic safety standards. One Cambodian factory has workers as young as 15 years of age, while another in Bangladesh that produces clothes for the General Services Administration uses corporal punishment to keep its employees in line.
There needs to be serious reform within our government. When the government meets its own safety standards and issues policies to enforce regulations across the globe, we will improve the lives of innumerable employees and set an ethical standard for how men and women should be treated in the workplace.
Next time you find that $6 dress so cheap it almost feels stolen, remember where the rest of the cost was shifted. Everything comes at a price, and third-world workers often pay ours.
