Comments on: Sweatshops and Free Trade http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:01:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Quizman http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-311 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-311 Hi, Interesting topic. We did a couple of detailed cases on outsourcing [Nike, Shell] in our Ethics class. I'll write in detail about those cases in my blog shortly. :-)It is not an open and shut case as I had originally thought and your post makes it out to be. :-) Hi,

Interesting topic. We did a couple of detailed cases on outsourcing [Nike, Shell] in our Ethics class. I’ll write in detail about those cases in my blog shortly. :-)It is not an open and shut case as I had originally thought and your post makes it out to be. :-)

]]> by: Ck http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-312 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-312 Obviously neither you nor I know if the allegations are true but as the issue is not whether or not the 'sweatshop' is airconditioned or not (a very literal definition you have to agree) but the following: - employees were ordered not to talk during work hours - needed passes to go to the bathroom and were generally limited to two bathroom visits a day. - Managers called workers on the loudspeakers if they were in the bathroom more than a few minutes - Managers often ordered female workers to take pregnancy tests, she said, and if they were pregnant, they were immediately fired to help the company save on medical expenses and maternity leave. You have conveniently chosen to ignore these allegations (I stress these are only allegations nobody knows if they are true or net yet) and have instead chosen to pick up on the fact that there is airconditioning hence it cannot be a sweatshop. Obviously neither you nor I know if the allegations are true but as the issue is not whether or not the ’sweatshop’ is airconditioned or not (a very literal definition you have to agree) but the following:
- employees were ordered not to talk during work hours
- needed passes to go to the bathroom and were generally limited to two bathroom visits a day.
- Managers called workers on the loudspeakers if they were in the bathroom more than a few minutes
- Managers often ordered female workers to take pregnancy tests, she said, and if they were pregnant, they were immediately fired to help the company save on medical expenses and maternity leave.

You have conveniently chosen to ignore these allegations (I stress these are only allegations nobody knows if they are true or net yet) and have instead chosen to pick up on the fact that there is airconditioning hence it cannot be a sweatshop.

]]> by: Yazad http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-313 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-313 Quizman, I agree it's a complex issue. I feel that fraud should be punished. But to be anti free trade just because there are diffrential wages / working conditions is what I protest against. Ck, Read the whole piece at Opinion Journal. Soemtimes loads of allegations are thrown in the hope that some mud sticks. The airconditioning point was an indicator, not a definition. Quizman,
I agree it’s a complex issue. I feel that fraud should be punished. But to be anti free trade just because there are diffrential wages / working conditions is what I protest against.

Ck,
Read the whole piece at Opinion Journal. Soemtimes loads of allegations are thrown in the hope that some mud sticks. The airconditioning point was an indicator, not a definition.

]]> by: Aniruddha Mahajan http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-314 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-314 Good one that. It is true actually that such 'sweatshops' in third world countries pay no heed to human rights and the like. ..that is what the alternatives to sweatshops are to many people in developing countries. this viewpoint is however not analysed thouroughly enough. It may sound perfectly logical on cursory analysis however may I point out that the alternative is also to have better sanitary and hygenic conditions? Doesnt this remind you of the old Indian sahukars who used to make women & children work in similar conditions as they owed them money. Providing monetary relief is no excuse for exploiting. Of course there will be plenty counter arguments for this, its never in black and white. - Aniruddha P.S. Read your previois post. I have linked to it on my blog if you dont mind. Good one that. It is true actually that such ’sweatshops’ in third world countries pay no heed to human rights and the like. ..that is what the alternatives to sweatshops are to many people in developing countries. this viewpoint is however not analysed thouroughly enough. It may sound perfectly logical on cursory analysis however may I point out that the alternative is also to have better sanitary and hygenic conditions?
Doesnt this remind you of the old Indian sahukars who used to make women & children work in similar conditions as they owed them money. Providing monetary relief is no excuse for exploiting.
Of course there will be plenty counter arguments for this, its never in black and white.
- Aniruddha
P.S. Read your previois post. I have linked to it on my blog if you dont mind.

]]> by: Yazad http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-315 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-315 Don't confuse bonded labour with sweatshops. Don’t confuse bonded labour with sweatshops.

]]> by: bob friendly http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-316 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.yazadjal.com/2003/11/04/sweatshops-and-free-trade/#comment-316 with all the sweatshops in the world, its good to know that there are alternatives in the good ol' USA. The only way to combat sweatshops without working in one is to promote sweatshop free companies, many of which exist today. here are a few! www.neighborhoodies.com www.urbanruby.com www.greenpeople.org - listings of organic and sweatshop free companies. with all the sweatshops in the world, its good to know that there are alternatives in the good ol’ USA. The only way to combat sweatshops without working in one is to promote sweatshop free companies, many of which exist today. here are a few!

www.neighborhoodies.com
www.urbanruby.com
www.greenpeople.org - listings of organic and sweatshop free companies.

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