Sweatshops Case

Consequences

The existence of sweatshops is a violation of human rights and an act of degradation towards the sweatshop workers. Looking at the bottom of a pair of shoes or a child's toy, it is anticipated that something similar to "Made in China" will be read. (Wells).Or it may also be the name of another "high repression, low-wage country" Chances are these items were made in sweatshops from around the world. A consequence of sweatshops is simply the violation of human rights. Workers in sweatshops face dangerous equipment, and physical and emotional abuse. (Wells). This comes along with very low pay, and unbearably long working hours, which demonstrates the lack of respect for human dignity. "Managers made them swallow amphetamines (Speed), so they could work up to 48 hours straight before collapsing" (Wells). Some sweatshop workers may be forced to take pills just so they can work a little longer. An example of horrific sweatshop conditions is:

"In August 1995, the nation was outraged by news that 72 Thai immigrants worked under slave-like conditions. Local and Federal law enforcement agents conducted a raid on this sweatshop in El Monte, California, just east of Los Angeles. The immigrants worked for 69 cents an hour, locked in an apartment complex surrounded by razor wire. Workers were threatened with rape and murder if they stopped working. After the raid, Labor Secretary Robert Reich launched a crusade against sweatshops" (Hearts).

Sweatshops are not only existent in places across the world away from America--as some people would like to believe--but also in one of the United States's most popular city, New York. In fact, 4,500 of New York City's 7,000 garment factories are sweatshops (Hearts). Even worse are the child labor laws being broken in sweatshops. "Children 10 or 12 years old, sometimes younger, work in factories contracted by well-known TNCs (Transnational Corporations). Recently a manufacturer of McDonald's "Happy Meal" toys was charged with employing 13 year olds, working them 16 hours per day for three dollars" (Wells).

A consequence of sweatshops on these children, and other sweatshop workers, are that they are at risk of developing health related problems. (Wells). "Sweatshops sometimes operate using force and have conditions so dire as to be capable of causing lasting physical and emotional harm" (Wells). These health problems may be caused by the fact that most sweatshop survivors come from impoverished areas of the world where access to adequate health care is limited or nonexistent (Wells). "Other TNCs source from factories where there is forced labor, the firing, beating, blacklisting, torture, and killing of unionists, physical, psychological and sexual abuse of workers, discrimination against women, and exposure