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

Cloudane

Another tough one. I went for the "avoid it if possible" answer, but thinking further I'm not so sure.

Two issues at hand in my view:
a) As was said in the very first post, sure the people in those countries get near-slave wages. But it's better than nothing - which is what the alternative would be if we all boycotted the stuff. We'd all love to be fair to everyone, but sadly the world just doesn't work that way... these other countries have vastly different economies and cultures. Maybe we shouldn't be interacting with under-developed countries at all but it'd be difficult (and ironic) to sit back and watch them starve for the sake of "not being unfair". Star Trek explored this concept quite a bit (prime directive)

b) Also as others have already said, just because something costs more doesn't mean the workers are getting a better deal. Call me cynical 'cos I am, but I find it very likely that higher costs simply mean more money for the bosses and their flash cars - a company by definition will aim for the maximum profit they can get away with, which means both high prices *and* slave labour. If they can keep it quiet, which most of them succeed in doing (sometimes they get caught and this happens but I reckon the ALL do it.) The only way I can see it being improved, is strict government regulation.

Another possibility is if Fairtrade products become more than the minor fad they are now and really become popular - which is difficult as there's little choice at the moment if you were to try and restrict yourself to Fairtrade only so it's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Not enough choice to make it popular, not enough demand to supply more choices.

DJFearRoss

I would stop buying such clothes if someone could give me a reason about how this method could improve the lifes of these people. I've worked in the clothing industry my whole life and "Price" sells.

When these people have little work the price drops but when they have alot the price rises.

This is the amazing about the West, we can ban imports of fur because of cruelty to animals but when it comes to humans beings, there seems to be no way round it?!

coliosa

I was as shocked as anybody when I saw the documentary about the children stitching squences into tops for Primark and as a mother i was sickened. My child is at the stage where he is growing quicker than i can keep him in clothes and i can't afford to shop in the pricer shops, are all shops like this???

mimie

as someone who originally comes from "developing country", I find in the west always judging things from "their" point of view/standrads...
Though I DONT and repeat DONT condone child labour by an means....it is the reality of the world we live in. For these kids at least they are learning a trade/skill, getting some some money to help put food on the table and most importantly keeping them off the streets.. the alternative...would most definatly be begging, prostitution,crime, working as maids/real slaves that are beaten day and night...that maybe harsh to someone in the west..but its the truth...and it will not be "short term",it is for the very long term..it is the reality of lives for street kids in all developling countries..an ugly scene.

Companies in the west should pay them fairly, help build schools in the community, help put money back in the communities..so that hopefully the future will be brighter.. and they can do that while still keeping their prices down..and still making profits maybe only 1.5billion instead of 2 billion..easily!!

On the other hand..In developing countries..they look at the west and think..kids drinking alcohol, teen pregnancies, school dropouts, knife/gun cultures....with all the money and education in a western society..yet these things happen and are only getting worse by the day....isnt that the result of another form (may not be directly) child exploitation.....but exploitation nevertheless.

JuliaJolie

torbrex wrote: »

I buy what I want to buy at a price I want to pay, I have little regard of how it is produced.

Awesome...tell the little girl in China, Thailand, Bangladesh or India that as long as YOU got your mucho cheapo as chippo bargain, ain't nowt wrong with the way it was produced.

Capitalist views like this make me sick. It's okay to fuel one's own greed if it doesn't affect you emotionally in the slightest. How would you feel if that's one of your own children?

I know most people are morally void when it comes to making a decision like this, but did any of you even know that sweatshops were a 19th-Century offshoot of slavery after its supposed abolition?

The word "sweatshop" leaves a nasty taste in your mouth for the right reason - workers are crammed into crowded, hot and unsanitary conditions, have NO rights whatsoever, and many young girls and women are often raped (as in the 2007 Mexican sweatshop incidents). Many are forced to even sleep there - there's no security, no fire codes - and in some chemical plants women have had birth defects and/or have suffered some form of respiratory toxic poisoning as a result. In a word, it's dangerous.

If you had a 5 year-old daughter or son, would you send them to work in a place like this http://www.cleanclothes.org/companies/disney.htm, as long as you could have your bargain?

It's a sad but true point that anti-sweatshop organisations make is that the only way to fight these things is NOT by boycotting the products per se (otherwise it's likely to force children into even more dangerous professions), it's about getting the factories to change their labour conditions.

JuliaJolie

coliosa wrote: »

I was as shocked as anybody when I saw the documentary about the children stitching squences into tops for Primark and as a mother i was sickened. My child is at the stage where he is growing quicker than i can keep him in clothes and i can't afford to shop in the pricer shops, are all shops like this???

Try H&M. I worked there for 3 years and their policy is that if they find a child under the working age of 16 working in their factories (15 in India), they will take them out of work and pay for their schooling and cost of living. This is an example of a fashionable but really cheap store that actually cares about its garment production.

JuliaJolie

cjmumto2 wrote: »

I will continue to buy Primark, as many people have mentioned it is a different culture and these children need the work. I watched the programme and Gap was mentioned too, so why pay Gap prices when you can buy Primark from the same sweatshop. There were many adults working too. If we didnt outsource then those poor people would starve. It is up to the companies or the country to make sure they are paid better with better working conditions.

I do however buy free range eggs and would rather not eat eggs than eat caged ones but I really cannot afford to buy expensive clothes as well. I am also concerned that fairtrade is not really fairtrade.

No, in 2007 GAP signed a pledge with the US Dept of Labour (they're a US-based brand) which applies to all of its international trading and labour practices, and they developed a Vendor Code of Conduct. Of all of the similarly shamed companies (Victoria's Secret, Guess, Donna Karan etc), only ONE company refused to sign - DISNEY, who have the most exorbitant prices of clothing and merchandise known to man!

D_Dickenson

I think outtoplaythesystem in post 51 is spot with their analysis of the situation. The real problem is global poverty/inequality which causes the parents of these children to be forced to put them to work - in the case of the orphans it is because the Governments are too poor to support them adequately.

The only solution is for us in the West to have a lot less and reduce the inequality. This goes far beyond paying a little extra for a t-shirt or Tradefair coffee. What is needed is us to have much much less - instead of 2 car families it needs to be one car for 10 families - instead a TV in every bedroom maybe one per house - holidays abroad are a ridiculous luxury when you consider the poverty others face.

But are we prepared to make the sacrifices needed to solve this problem? I think the answer is almost certainly no. Fooling ourselves that paying an extra £2 for a t-shirt will solve it is just self delusion. We should be honest that we don't care about these people enough to do what is needed to make a real difference. If I am honest with myself I have to say I'm not prepared to do it.

The sad reality is that global poverty is here to stay for a long time yet. I don't have any answers for this because I don't have enough faith in human nature. Outplaythesystem suggests to 'lobby government and worldwide economic agencies to reduce the restictions that keep these countries in poverty and reduce the internal corruption' which sounds as good a path as any to choose but I don't think the change will be quick.

weegie.geek

The poll options are pretty restrictive. I'd happily shop from Primark again, once they've been thoroughly investigated and it's proven that they are actively against sweatshops, as opposed to ostensibly against, but turning a blind eye.

I wouldn't buy clothes I knew had been made in a sweatshop. I'd rather buy second-hand stuff from ebay that was originally from an ethically sound shop than buy new from a place I knew was dodgy.

Same as I've not eaten any nestle stuff since I found out just how awful they are, ethically.

There are many, many choices open to us these days. We've no excuse for supporting sweatshops.

In this instance though, Primark did the right thing, publicly severing ties with the factory. How can they trust them to not do the same thing again?

There should be stricter regulations controlling companies who use cheap foreign labour like this. If primark's prices went up 10% (or if its profits came down accordingly...) the extra generated/saved could ensure wages high enough that not only would indian familes not need to send their kids out to work to make ends meet, they'd be able to give their kids a good education.
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D_Dickenson

Just to put in perspective what Primarks profits are. They recently made £100m on £1billion turnover. Increasing prices 10% would generate an extra £100m profit. That is enough to give every Indian just 10p each. The poverty problem is much bigger than you think.