An Ethical Shopping Survey

Recently we ambushed Oxford Street shoppersThese include bad ventilation, overcrowded
for a survey on ethical shopping. But as wefactories which are a fire risk and unsanitary
pounded the pavements of central London webathrooms. 63% of New York factories violate
found lots of shoppers asking us the sameminimum wage and overtime restrictions. The
questions. Why should we care aboutmajority of workers in the US garment industry
sweatshops? What are they? Shouldnt people beare immigrant women and many are verbally or
grateful for any work they can get? If theyeven physically abused and intimidated if they
werent working in a sweatshop wouldnt thespeak out. They can also be threatened with
workers be worse off? How can we changedeportation. In 2002 the GMB found in two weeks
things? The answers are not always clear-cut, butat least three sweatshops operating in the East
we hope that this outline guide will bust a fewEnd of London. Less than minimum wage,
myths about sweatshop workers, owners andtransgression of health and safety regulations and
customers. What is a sweatshop anyway? Theexcessive hours were all cited. How low is low?
word sweatshop described a nineteenth centuryFor Nike workers in Indonesia one chicken costs
system where subcontractors sweated outmore then a days wages. Childrens cough
profits from the difference between the price ofmedicine is 121% of a basic daily wage and you
their product and the wages they paid. In the 21stwould have to save 4 days wages to buy a pair
Century the system is still thriving. Sweatshopsof jeans. But what can the companies do - if they
are generally defined as workplaces exploitingput up their prices to pay wages, sales will fall and
manual labourers. This refers to wages that areso will jobs? The Chief Executive of The Gap in
below the cost of living, dangerous working1999 earned in excess of $7,000,000 - yes,
conditions and arbitrary discipline such as physicalseven million dollars a year -according to
and verbal abuse. A typical example is the NikeSweatshop Watch, while the average worker in
factories in Indonesia, which according to theChina would be paid just 23 cents-an-hour. The
Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) report in Marchanswer doesnt seem to hard- ask the CEO to
2002, paid its workers so little they cannot affordtake a small pay cut. If this seems unfair perhaps
to have their children living with them. The factorythe answer is to cut the advertising budget. Global
also refuses to buy their workers protectiveExchange says Nike spends $560million on
equipment. Ironically employees making Nikesadvertising, that means if it spent 2% less it could
state-of- the-art trainers may lose their own feetbring the whole of its Vietnamese workers wages
because the factory will not provide them withup to a living wage, as requested by Vietnamese
strong shoes to safeguard them from the heavyLabour Watch. Cant we just boycott these
machinery they work with. Why do people workcompanies? For most of us the knee-jerk
in Sweatshops? Because they have no otherreaction is to stop buying products made by
choice. Companies take their factories to areassweat or child labour. But according to NGOs and
where wages are low and there is less emphasisThe International Labour Organisation (ILO),
on workers rights. The cost of living may be lessconsumer boycotts can harm workers more than
then in developed nations, but the minimum wagethe company. When sweatshops using child labour
of these countries does not even cover this.were closed in Bangladesh and Pakistan through
Countries such as China are particularly attractive,consumer pressure Save the Children, along with
not just for their low wages but also because ofBangladeshi NGOs, pointed out children were
their repressive apparatus and corporate secrecy,merely forced into worse forms of labour. This
which make human rights hard to patrol. In awas because children often brought in 30% of a
Chinese factory contracting for Disney, workersfamilys income. As girls were only allowed to
were threatened or intimidated to ensure theywork in domestic service, prostitution or brick
would falsify their work records and lie to anybreaking, escaping from the garment industry was
groups who arrived to monitor working conditionsnot always an improvement. But, boycotts called
(CCC report February 2001). Foreign-ownedby the workers themselves can be effective.
companies keep their costs down by not havingWorkers at Forever 21 in Los Angeles are trying
sick pay, pension insurance or maternity leave. Ifto make this multi-million pound company pay the
workers demand better pay, or if demand driesback wages they owe them. After working 10 to
up the company has no difficulty in packing up12 hours a day for below minimum wage and no
and leaving the country leaving employeesovertime in appalling conditions they are taking
destitute. Isnt it better then unemployment? Thetheir employers to court and trying to ensure a
only answer to this is why should there only befair deal for others. Further Information The
two choices? Multinational clothing companieseasiest and most effective way to help improve
spend literally millions of pounds on advertising andthe lives of garment workers is to make sure the
paying their CEO each year- surely some of thisshops you buy from know you care about how
money could be spent paying workers enough sotheir clothes are made not just what they look
they can buy basic necessities? Sweatshops arelike.
all in the Third World ? right? No. According toI work for the organic clothes directory which
Sweatshop Watch 98% of garment workers inalso sells fairtrade clothes plus we have fairtrade
Los Angeles have health and safety problems,articles for you to read or publish.
which could lead to serious injury or even death.