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

robpw2

whilst i was very shocked and appalled as primark is my equivalent to gucci during these very hard times, i have to consider the fact that they are cheap and that if we knew everything "underhand"and "devious" etc that companies did we would neve shop anywhere.

Bamber19

It's not ideal, we don't work as children in this country and we think of childhood as a time when you should be playing and having fun, but these are different countries altogether. How much more "exploited" are the children compared to adults in the country? Both will be getting paid terribly low amounts (to us at least).

My biggest worry is that I don't believe kids are being forced to work, they need to to survive. With wages so low families struggle to be supported on 1 wage so everyone must earn, if we all say "Kids shouldn't work!" and the whole country stops buying from these places then the industry will be damaged and kids will lose their jobs which will drive them into further poverty. It's a balance really, do we want kids to work and have one standard of living, or not work but have an even worse standard of living which would undoubtedly increase the number of children dying in these countries. I feel like those with the best of intentions sometimes do not think of the consequences, by all means we can stop buying this stuff on principle but who is going to feed the children then? Are you going to give the cash you don't spend on these clothes directly to the children?

Idiophreak

Jenferdog wrote: »

I think its morally wrong for people who can afford to pay a little more to buy these clothes cheaply knowing that children have suffered to make them, however, how else would the families these children are from survive? Prostitution in some cases, begging, things much worse than sewing sequins on a top for hours on end I am sure.

Err...I don't really see there as only being two options (as a number of people seem to think here) - work in a sweatshop or don't work...I see a third option...Use some of the profits these stores make (I think primark made around £200m last year as far as I can work out...) and improve working conditions.

Edinburghlass_2

geri1965 wrote: »

Blood Sweat & T-Shirts - I saw that as well, it was actually very shocking.

thanks for that now I have the name I've found there is still 2 days left to watch episode 4 which appears to start in Primark.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bbzbq

I only saw one small part of one episode and I'm not sure if it was this episode.

JimmyTheWig

Is there any correlation between the price of an item and the conditions under which it was made?
When I think of sweatshop labour I think of Nike and Gap. Hardly the cheap end of the market at all. (Maybe I'm just behind the times?)

As has been pointed out, all of these companies make decent profits, so there is scope for them to improve the conditions of their workforce.

Don't let them try to put the blame on us for buying the stuff.


Agree that the only way we can know for sure is to buy from a charity shop!

Pinklady_3

On the BBC show last night about this the 'expert' on ethics actually recommended people don't boycott these stores as it will have disastrous results for the children and their families. This issue is one that the companies need to look at, consumers boycotting the stores may do more harm than good. I don't know what the answer is because as far as I can see there will always be a market for cheap clothes and a few programmes about the way they are made will probably not have a huge effect on these companies profits in the long run.

Petmidget

Personally I dont shop at Primark but I do buy cheap stuff at the major supermarkets.

My view is that EVERY major (inter)national label uses indentured labour whether is it child or adult it is little better than slavery.

At least when the goods are cheap the exploitation is only at the production end and I am not being exploited by paying £40 for a Tshirt made for £1.

It is a simple fact of economics that labour intense activities follow the supply of cheap labour, doesnt make it right but in a global largely capitalist society i dont see nike, adidas, levi's, primark, tesco etc etc changing their ways in a hurry

movilogo

I do shop from Primark and will continue to do so. They sell good clothes in cheap price.

I shall rather pay my money to poor children in India than overpaying someone in UK who charges exorbitant labour rate so that they can ride a Porsche.

Why not stop paying them who are on dole and give away that money to children in developing country?

zena2105

well everyone has made some good points, more people seem to be talking about the child labour, which IF i remember correctly with some of the children their parents sent them there to work, as many of you have pointed out they help feed themselves and families. Not ideal but it's there way of life and there are much worse things, I also noted that they were being paid about 20p per day, which seems a very small amount, but again at one point they siad it was about half the normal wage!

It wouldn't harm the companies to pay twice as much at least, it bugged me a little bit that they just seemed to pick on primark, when there were other companies clothes there that they wouldn't mention the names of.

It does make you think, but we seem to be stuck between a rock and hard place,:wall:
if we boycott shops could impact the whole of India textile trade, if we continue to shop, it's like we are condoning it, and we have our own families to be concerned about in these hard times.

mimie

I totaly agree that it is unethical for companies like primark to exploit the poorest of the poor, and though it maybe the only alternative for these kids to keep of the streets and being further exploited by pimps, gangs etc...but the least massive compnies like Tescos and primark could do is to use a bit of their billions of profits to provide schools, clubs and places where these kids can be children.

Having said that, as a struggling working single mum, I am "guilty" of buying from primark..becasue I have no choice as such, as a matter fact with the credit crunch..even that I cant afford as I am already saving on food for my child.

We are all exploited by the big sharks in the world, the ways are different but exploited YES..I still work very long hours, not given hours to suit my child (try asking for flexible hours if you work at Heathrow), I am worried sick that if I continue with these hours and am not there for my child, she may turn to drugs, guns, fanatsicm, teen pregnancy...all for the slightly above minimum wage that I make..to pay for energy bills for sharks that are making 1.9 billion profits.

It all (whether here or in India) saddens, angers and breaks my heart..where is the justice in all this.