Sweatshops often involve low-wage earning workers in destitute factory conditions. These workers, many times children, are forced to make products such as clothes, toys, shoes, electronics and other consumer goods that they cannot even afford to buy on their wages (Wikipedia 2006). Sweatshops were originally created when an employer, also called a middleman or “sweater,” attempted to reduce overhead costs and increase production by distributing materials to workers in their homes and by paying for work by the piece rather than by the hour. While sweatshops were originally residential, they soon developed into factories (Microsoft Encarta 2006). There are many people who want to discourage the use of sweatshop labor and others who support the institution; both sides make compelling arguments, however, I am most concerned with the substandard conditions of the factories and the social connotation people attribute to the use of sweatshop labor.

Public controversy centered on the working conditions in factories producing apparel, footwear, toys, and sporting goods in developing nations, primarily in Asia and Latin America. These factories were criticized for employing children, paying substandard wages, exposing employees to health and safety hazards, forcing workers to work long hours, and denying employees the right to join unions. (Microsoft Encarta 2006).

Companies located in the United States have been accused of using sweatshops these include: Disney, The Gap, Nike (Wikipedia 2006), Levi Strauss, Liz Claiborne, Mattel, and Reebok (Microsoft Encarta 2006). The working environment in these factories are deplorable by any standards; there is often inadequate ventilation and factories provide unsafe working conditions. Workers are also subjected to physical, mental or sexual abuse (Wikipedia 2006). It is true that without the low paying factory jobs, desperate people in impoverished countries would be forced to turn to prostitution (Wikipedia 2006) or even worse means to make money but that fact does not excuse those responsible for the awful conditions they create for the workers. Those in charge are not solely to blame, we as consumers of products manufactured in these sweatshops keep them running and keep companies constantly striving to find cheaper production costs in other undeveloped counties. It was not difficult to find items made in Third World countries; it actually was more difficult to find products made in the U.S.A. Most products made in Third World countries were likely to have been produced in a sweatshop:

Item Description & Location

Pink Bunny “Jelly Bean” Yum Yums Collection. China
Crest Kid’s Spin Brush “Dora the Explorer.” China

Victoria’s Secret Shopping Bag. China
Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP. China
Green Plastic Bracelet. China
Scene It! Harry Potter DVD. Hong Kong
Harry Potter Journal U.S.A.
Xhilaration: Intimates Underwear. Thailand
Gap Stripped Scarf. China
Lucky Bear Stuffed Animal. China
Ty Beanie Duck. China
Blue Corduroy Pants. Bahrain
Tropical Scents Candle. Malaysia
Black Hooded Sweatshirt. (Wal-Mart) China
Editions Blue Stripe Shirt. Philippines
“Wizard In Training" Harry Potter Shirt. Honduras
Uniden Cordless Phone. China
Olympus Digital Camera. Indonesia
My Chemical Romance Poster. U.S.A.
Apex DVD Player. China

I researched the average wage of clothing producers in China; more specifically sweatshops associated with Wal-Mart, where I shop regularly. My black hooded sweatshirt was possibly made in a sweatshop in China. The Organic Consumers Association is in opposition to companies who employ sweatshop labor they said, “Hourly wages paid by clothing giants such as Wal-Mart… are as low as 13 cents an hour, well below the estimated 87 cents an hour minimum living wage for an assembly-line worker in China” (Organic Consumers Association 2006). This information correlates to other figures I came across; Wikipedia reports that “Honduran factory workers were paid only 15 cents to make a Sean John t-shirt that cost its U.S. bulk importer $3.65 and retailed for $40” (Wikipedia 2006). These reports are terrifying but reports of boycotting these companies are often even more gruesome. UNICEF claims that boycotting companies involved with child labor is especially harmful as 5,000 to 7,000 children from Nepal turned to prostitution when the U.S. banned carpet exports from that country (Wikipedia 2006). Similar results were seen in Bangladesh after the Child Labor Deterrence Act was introduced; children were dismissed from their jobs in the garment industry and forced to participate in more hazardous and exploitative jobs such as: stone-crushing, street hustling, and prostitution (Wikipedia 2006).

The controversy surrounding these factories is understandable, there is not much one side can do without jeopardizing some aspect of the situation; if you get rid of the sweatshops many people are out of work and have to find even worse jobs and if you do not change them, workers are forced into horrible working conditions. The most disturbing aspect of this struggle is the role of the U.S. in this area; we are a capitalistic, consumer society constantly looking for cheaper ways to make goods faster. Our materialistic culture is exploiting the need for jobs in Third World countries. This assignment has opened my eyes to the intricacy of our World market, and how our actions can effect the whole world.

rewind or exit [close window]