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

topgungaz

I would like to see what people , who are in professions in these countrys earn. You cannot compare wages against what is earned in this country , withought knowing all the facts.
The way many of these companys pay and treat their staff here is a disgrace, with off the clock working and such.

Sarahsaver

SimJ wrote: »

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.

I don't think most of their customers would do that. Interesting idea though.

A.Jones

SimJ wrote: »

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.

What makes the jeans worth £15? How much of that £15 do you really think gets back to the workers that made them? I can guarantee you it is not £12.

And why would someone buy in a cheap store, then agree to pay 500% of the advertised price?

halia

well how about buying your clothes from primark, cos as people have said you can't guarentee (except in a very few cases) the provenance of clothing from ANY shop. And then donating the difference between cost in primark and gap, or whatever you think it woudl cost to make it here into the relevant charity?

That way you can be SURE that a chunk of cash is going to the people who need it most. So you buy a tshirt at £3, you'd have to make a whole load of assumptions about costs etc but I think it would be a safe bet to say that an extra £5 would be AT LEAST an extra hours wage for any worker overseas.

So stick a fiver in a 'charity pot'.

If you are fussy about primark purely on grounds of quality (not price) then do the same wherever you buy UNLESS you have absolute guarentee that the workers aren't being exploited.

and yep that includes charity shops here, I worked in one once and they really do a great line in exploitation.

How about a sign up pledge here?

And yes I know charity isn't the best way to sort out underlying problems but you honestly wont' get anywhere by boycotting primark either. Give your cash to a charity, and spend your TIME lobbying for political change in this country as it is at a national government level that changes will be made to buying/trade agreements.

That way maybe a charity will have an extra £100/yr from X people and we might get a government to enact a policy of refusing to buy from countries whose products dont' meet a minimum specification INCLUDING wages/conditions of labourers.

As a side note a policy like that would also make it more effective for homegrown producers and makers to compete thus raising the earning potential of thousands of people here in britian.

cg1982

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 agree if we did not buy it how would they survive?