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| Workers at the Seagate Wuxi China Factory |
The next time you purchase a pair of shoes made in another
country, imagine finding a hand-written note in the box – a note written by
the person who made your shoes, describing the abusive working conditions
that resulted in the creation of your purchase. As CNN recently reported, that
is exactly what happened to a lady in Oregon in 2011 after purchasing a
Halloween decoration from a Kmart store.[1]
Our world is becoming
increasingly smaller through global supply chains. In addition, we rely even more on goods
that are produced in other parts of the world. Ensuring that labor
practices are fair and basic human rights are recognized becomes increasingly
harder for companies to regulate. If the host country is not active in protecting
workers from abuse, who does that responsibility fall on? The producers, the suppliers, the customers?
Is There Anybody Out There?
There are currently no formal international regulations that
address labor rights nor is there an international governing body to ensure
suppliers are utilizing fair labor standards. The International Labour
Organization is a branch of the United Nations that creates labor standards.
However, these are merely guidelines and recommendations to be used by countries
that ratify them.
What Can Be Done?
Multi-national companies can take a big role in helping to
protect labor rights. Big name companies can write into their contracts with
suppliers fair labor rules that must be abided by. The threat of the company
terminating the contract may be enough for suppliers to adhere to the labor
rules.
We, as consumers, can also ensure that the products we
purchase are made in favorable conditions. Become a conscious consumer by
knowing where your goods come from and only purchase from reputable companies
that source goods from suppliers that adhere to fair labor practices. You can utilize non-profits, like the Fair Labor Association, to seek companies that follow fair labor standards. Additionally, some packaging might advertise fair labor standards. The
enjoyment of new pair of shoes, a new gadget or food should not come at the
expense of the person’s dignity who produced it.
Thanks John for highlighting the work of the Fair Labor Association. I'm not sure how much multinationals can help the situation. Isn't the reason many companies exported jobs and factories to China and elsewhere was so they could produce low-cost products without those pesky "labor regulations" from the US?
ReplyDeleteAlso, the story about the labor camp inmate who put the letter in the Halloween decoration was fascinating. I'm still puzzled by the Falun Gong repression in China, I guess it stems from the Communist party's overall intolerance of religion...
John, great post. The Fair Labor Association is working to prevent abuses against workers around the world. A former client of mine included their standards in contracts with manufacturers and suppliers up and down the food chain. I just started reading a book about tomato farming in Florida. It is an eye-opener from both the food production and social justice perspectives! There are horrific worker conditions right here in our own country. I may never eat another tomato not grown in my own balcony garden again! Thanks for highlighting these issues in your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the good writeup. It in reality was a enjoyment account it. Glance complicated to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we keep in touch?
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