Would you buy cheap child-sweatshop made clothes? Poll results/discussion

savagevixen

I can't understand why there is any confusion. It doesn't matter who you are or where you live. Nobody should work in filthy appalling conditions, work extremely long hours and be paid a pittance. Adults should not be treated like this and children even more so.
Of course there is the guilty 'cop out' response, which is to claim it's a different culture, and they need the work. But really that is just guilt talking.

It is wrong and we all know it's wrong. We should all do something about it. If people can't aford to buy more expensive, more ethically produced garments, they CAN afford to put pressure on the companies they purchase from to provide fairtrade, ethically sourced goods.

Every little helps...

Diego

bryanb wrote: »

You left out the view that these kids may be orphans in a society that has no social benefits, and maybe this is the only way for them to survive.

I thought along these lines too. In the TV show when the reporter got to recording the children actually working, TV cameras could not be used. They were working under cover anyway, posing as fashion buyers. At this stage the reporter used his mobile phone to take the shots. I doubt that these were 'posed' under the circumstances and the children shown in this program appeared to be reasonably happy, clean and fed. If this were taken away from them where would they go / end up?

The Caste system also comes into play in India - and this of course between the native Indian born people with obvious effect on their income.

Unfortunately it will take a force stronger than our complaints to suppliers the change the situation.

At least for 11 hours of the day they were not looking for trouble with a knife as in some communities not a million miles away.

W_s_n

E. I’ll never shop there again

Ever

BIG_TONY_3

I gotta be honest, i wouldn't like my kids working in these sweatshops

I'd much prefer them on the streets commiting crimes or using prostitution as a way of making money!!!

Yes they get don't get paid much, but is the cost of living expensive out there?

janaltus

bryanb wrote: »

You left out the view that these kids may be orphans in a society that has no social benefits, and maybe this is the only way for them to survive.

I didn't respond to the survey because, like bryanb, none of my views came close to those Martin proposed. I think Martin left out:

I’ll avoid it (Primark) unless and until they change their ethical policy.

Note to Martin: If you had put in an option such as that, I think you would have elicited a massive response, you could have been a force for good and helped prompt Primark to change their policy. Maybe keep it in mind for next time?

Paul_Mason

There is a new book out called Fugitive Denim by Rachel Louise Snyder. She reports from the far reaches of this multi-billion-dollar industry in search of the real people who make your clothes. From Italian designers to cotton pickers in Azerbaijan, and from Cambodian slums to chinese factories. Two of New York's hottest young designers balance high-end fashion with concerns about fair trade and the environment, all under the watchful eye of their bosses, Bono of U2 and his wife Ali. It has a cast of characters and the moral quandaries of globalization will surely stay with readers the next time they pull on their favorite jeans. The book gets excellent reviews.

MSE_Lawrence wrote: »

Poll between 23 June - 01 July 2008.

Would you buy cheap child-sweatshop made clothes?

There’ve been reports this week that some Primark clothes have been finished off using child labour. If this is confirmed, will it change the way you shop there?


Which of the following is closest to your view?

A. Who cares. It’s a different culture, it's not our business. - 10% (917 votes)
B. It’s cheap and that’s more important to me. - 8% (730 votes)
C. I don’t believe it's worse than any others, so there’s no choice. - 23% (2066 votes)
D. I’ll avoid it unless I can’t find a cheap viable alternative. - 20% (1763 votes)
E. I’ll never shop there again. - 15% (1310 votes)
F. I've never shopped there anyway. - 24% (2147 votes)

This vote has now closed, but you can still click 'post reply' to discuss below. Thanks

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Paul_Mason

There is a new book out called Fugitive Denim by Rachel Louise Snyder. She reports from the far reaches of this multi-billion-dollar industry in search of the real people who make your clothes. From Italian designers to cotton pickers in Azerbaijan, and from Cambodian slums to chinese factories. Two of New York's hottest young designers balance high-end fashion with concerns about fair trade and the environment, all under the watchful eye of their bosses, Bono of U2 and his wife Ali. It has a cast of characters and the moral quandaries of globalization will surely stay with readers the next time they pull on their favorite jeans. The book gets excellent reviews.

geri1965 wrote: »

I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few days, and I'v made a decision not to buy clothes from Primark, Asda and Tesco because their names keep cropping up over and over again and I can't ignore it any longer.

However, I know someone who works in the trade and she says it's pretty much endemic - suppliers cannot say with any certainty what conditions their clothes are being made under, so it really doesn't matter if you buy from Gap or Matalan, Debenhams or M&S - the chances are there are shady practices going on at their factories as well.

I think the industry as a whole needs to get it's act together - but with the demand for cheap clothing and the need to make money, I doubt it will ever happen and companies will continue to pay lip service to demands to improve standards whilst turning a blind eye to what's really going on and claiming ignorance.

savagevixen

Aside from this Martin left out,

I did buy from them but the clothes are such, rubbish raggy quality, that generally don't last 2 washes, fade, shrink, and frequently the sizes are completely out.

I now don't buy from them for this reason, and frankly a lot of the clothes look badly made, they are just disaposable clothes.
My dad actually buys t-shirts and shirts, and then throws them away after 1 use. This is because it costs much more to get his shirts ironed than it does to buy new. It is disgusting that these shops encourage such a ridiculous attitude to clothing.

A.Jones

savagevixen wrote: »

My dad actually buys t-shirts and shirts, and then throws them away after 1 use. This is because it costs much more to get his shirts ironed than it does to buy new. It is disgusting that these shops encourage such a ridiculous attitude to clothing.

So it's Primark's fault, and not your fathers for having a ridiculous attitude? Why not teach him to iron.

SimJ

How about having a collecting tin at the exit to Primark where shoppers can put in a donation for third world improvement projects that would make life better for the exploited workiers. Then if someone buys a pair of jeans for £3 which are really worth £15 anywhere else, a donation of £12 would make that purchase fair and reward the workers for thier hard work. It woud be a bit like giving a waitress a tip.