Reply to: Yes she is annoying (Mizz Jones) but she has a point

[vetran]

That would be the ISO accredited suppliers that hadn't lost their certification for lying then?

yes people lie, but if you make it difficult and level the playing field then it slowly gets better.

[SueEllen]

Indeed, however I'd prefer to take away some of the profit of the suppliers & multinationals and make sure the workers have slightly more in their pocket.

Some of the multinationals have tried to put policies in place to ensure workers are treated to minimum standards however the suppliers lie.

For example they keep two sets of books. So when you as a Western goes over to say you want to place an order in their factory and ask questions about workers conditions, they will show you the "legal" set of books with the workers start and end times which means they don't do over 50 hours a week.

However when the worker gets their pay slip they get two pay slips. The one from the "legal" set of books and the other from the "illegal" set with the "voluntary" extra overtime they do.

Then they guard fire exits and lock them if the security guard goes on a break to stop workers leaving and not doing their "voluntary" extra overtime.

This stuff has been reported by quite a few Western journalists over the years who go over to the factories to see what is going on.

However a certain UK retailer this century had management doing that to their staff unofficially in the UK (it never came to court so I can't state their name), and M&S were caught forcing their workers to work where there was asbestos so as far as I'm concerned it's lip service.

[vetran]

The question is would these people be better off if we stopped buying the products they make? Easy to preach, but if you take away their only income where does it leave them?

Indeed, however I'd prefer to take away some of the profit of the suppliers & multinationals and make sure the workers have slightly more in their pocket.

[vetran]

I meant clothes but he probably does need a lot of cloths for all the mopping up.

nah he uses the curtains!

[d000hg]

I meant clothes but he probably does need a lot of cloths for all the mopping up.

[SimonMac]

Lots of people can't afford to SPEND more than this on cloths though...

Enough about Suity though

[d000hg]

Stop expecting to be able to buy a t-shirt for £1.50 in Primark

Lots of people can't afford to SPEND more than this on cloths though...

[VectraMan]

Stop expecting to be able to buy a t-shirt for £1.50 in Primark

The question is would these people be better off if we stopped buying the products they make? Easy to preach, but if you take away their only income where does it leave them?

[vetran]

Stop expecting to be able to buy a t-shirt for £1.50 in Primark

unfortunately this would make absolutely no difference, Apple don't make products in China with under age (allegedly) labour so they can sell them at £1.50. Bennenton, H&M and M&S are not known for their knock down prices.

the UK & preferably the EU government should put in minimum labour standards for offshore suppliers with huge fines.

[Halo Jones]

But then that's the price you have to pay if some people must have their £2 dress or £5 full school uniform.

Stop expecting to be able to buy a t-shirt for £1.50 in Primark

It’s not just the cheap shops that use these practices; some brand names have been accused of slave labour.

Also I get generic t-shirts from M&S, they spout fair trade etc.. I how I know for sure that these have been ethically made?

[SimonMac]

How do we sort out the sweatshops?

Stop expecting to be able to buy a t-shirt for £1.50 in Primark

[vetran]

It's also down to the culture within the country.

For example if you were an employer, would you hire someone and pay them below the min wage, so much so they had malnutrition.
Would you expect them to work in squalor.

We are buying the products, but their own people are their employers.

precisely why we should enforce our employment practices on our suppliers.

Its funny we fill in 16 page forms for suppliers in the UK but ignore flagrant breaches in overseas suppliers.

[alreadypacked]

It's also down to the culture within the country.

For example if you were an employer, would you hire someone and pay them below the min wage, so much so they had malnutrition.
Would you expect them to work in squalor.

We are buying the products, but their own people are their employers.

[craig1]

There was an outstanding report in the Independent a few years ago that I can't find that covered this stuff. They showed that the sweatshop workers would have been better in proper slavery as at least their masters would have had to house and feed them, most of the staff were being paid below a survival wage defined as enough to live in a covered shelter and feed yourself above starvation. I think the article may have been pulled because it named companies who used the end-product of the sweatshops.

But then that's the price you have to pay if some people must have their £2 dress or £5 full school uniform.

[KentPhilip]

I thought Dolly was a sheep?