Slave Labour and us!
 

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I am shocked that the retailer feigns surprise still.

However the "slave labour" aspect isn't just used by cheaper companies. most clothing/footwear companies use far eastern sweatshops. (I remember the furore over the guy who ordered his Nike trainers (when they would put your name or whatever on them) he wanted the name of the bloke who worked 16 hours a day in Vietnam for $1 a day's name on them. they refused.

So most clothing retailers use far eastern sweatshops so they can have a ludicrously high profit margin. If they wanted to stop it they could, by paying a higher salary and employ the staff direct. They won't and they use a third party so they can pretend they don't know about it.

B*ll*cks

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

there are two problems here... one is that the children are working for ****** all and the other is that the children have to work in the first place to feed their families...............yes the companies are taking advantage of the poverty but who's fault is the poverty and what would happen to their families if the children didnt have jobs at all??

just to make it perfectly clear i do not agree with children working!

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I don't think the bargain is passed on to the consumer, the retailers use the cheapest labour and then bump up the cost before passing it on to us:(

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

i can go with that,sounds about right,ya dont get cheap " NIKE" and the like, was it the victorians that stopped kids going up chimneys? seems like not much has changed exept the country.:cool:

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I mean our perceived idea of a "bargain". What I'm thinking is that most of our retailers know how far they can push the public on pricing issues. They will always make a profit we know this, some profit margins can't be justified.

Even if the largest part of the profit was passed on to us, we would still clamour for a better deal and they would still attempt to deliver by whatever means. I think we know this too.

Hence my suggestion that maybe we are not all that bothered about sweatshops ( Just my own thoughts )

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Really don't think we can do anything about the sweat shops until the leaders of the countries involved sort it out. As long as they let kids work there is little we can do about it!!

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

if a dress is £50, and then it is £25 in the sales,,who is making a fast buck in the first place,,not the customer,,,:rolleyes:

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Agreed but if the adults would use contraception the poor souls might not need to work to keep the family!!!

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

nice one bernie:):)so true...and where do they get the stamia from....?

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Beats me but they keep managing to have kids:confused:

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I would imagine that being part of a 3rd world country would equate to poor (if any eduaction) I say education because that's what is really behind the contraception issue. I dont think they actually have the luxury of popping down to the local clinic for free condoms and such.

The main point is that children get used. We all know it, it just seems we are not all that bothered. I'ts complaicency but what drives that complaicency, is it our own greed?

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Come on BB we all know the education has been taken to these countries plus the free condoms, they just won't use them.

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

is slave labour publicity going to stop the majority buying these goods? is it hell as like, not very palatable but true.

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

It's a whole strata of the British high street that is using cheap labour in order to give us relatively cheap priced clothing.

Even supposed ethically aware stores like Gap, have been using child labour, though they now say they've stopped...after being uncovered.

If we want children's school uniforms for under a fiver, someone has to pay for it. Sadly in some cases it's a child working in poverty.

It's economics at it's purest form. Supply and demand, and will only be changed if the demand for low cost clothing ceases.

War On Want : General Press Releases : Bhs, Peacocks, Matalan ‘shamed’ on sweatshops

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Sorry Bernie , have to disagree with you on this , its not the fault of '3rd world leaders who are responsible for the exploitation , I my opinion the folks responsible are the sleezeball political leaders of the 'western' world who create markets and who allow cheap imports into the country in the first place at the expense of local industries and workers, lowering the standard of living down of thier own constituancys, (another time and place these folks would have been put on trial and punished for economic sabotage ).
Its all well and good thinking that by buying cheap imports we are helping raise living standards in poorer countries , but I prefer to think it is more akin to what is happening in local schools where instead of the class morons being raised to the level of the brightest kids the brightest kids are being dumbed down to the level of the class morons....that way the PC correct politicians can say we are all equal and on a level playing field .....:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Well it certainly should have been taken to these countries, theres been enough aide sent, yer spot on Bernie. Billions of pounds in aid sent. They say that lots of the cash is creamed of by the leaders of such countries ( bet some is creamed off here before it ever reaches them )

Whether they have many children is not the issue. A family anywhere cannot become a target for abuse of anykind on the basis that they dont know how to use contraception. I know you are not suggesting that Bernie, just trying to see whereby if they dont use contraception, then its ok for them to be abused

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I take all your points on board Steeljack and Bonnyboy but these things are going on and there is nothing we can do short of walking about in the buff because it seems most of our high street stores are using the same methods. If you have any other ideas they will be welcome but I for one need my clothes!!!

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I suppose Accy-web and the internet should take some of the blame , at one time instead of wasting time on here you would have spending your time being creative, knitting and crocheting ;) ;) ;) :D

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Now you are joking, me knit or crochet;):p

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Now that was Slave Labour.:D

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

its cos deep down, most dont give a monkeys, ohh we will all bitch about it, but thats where it ends.;)

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Okay I'll butt out!!

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I would have said we have our own worries;)

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I would have said we have our own worries;)

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

Nah , it would just mean fewer posts about the high cost of school uniforms , knitting cardigans/ pullovers and clicking 4 needles to turn a sock heel would keep many a bored mother occupied ;) ;)

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

I think that is a point which is often overlooked when people start demanding that the sweatshops be closed down. We don't want them to end up even worse off.

It's also a fine tightrope because if wages were too high then it would upset the balance and the poor without jobs at all would be even poorer by comparison. It's a lot more complicated than it looks on the surface.

Have you ever wondered why? People in 'these countries' have children as an insurance policy for their old age. They don't get pensions. Their only hope of survival is to be dependant on their children so to them having more children equates with a better chance of them being supported in their old age. Take into account the infant mortality rate too - it's no good trying to tell them that having fewer children can mean that more will survive. Experience through generations tells them different.

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

yeh but youre more diplomatic bernie, i just say it as it is.:D

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

That may be the reason Willow, I am more inclined to think it will be something to do with religion. Just as Catholics didn't use contraception till relatively recently because their religion forbade it think these people are probably thinking on the same lines!!

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

And then there is the bigger picture ... major corporations are moving jobs to third world countries in order to save money not only by paying lower wages but by bypassing all that working class people have fought for: a safe workplace, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, reasonable hours etc. If companies set up shop in a first world country they have to abide by the laws enacted on behallf of workers. So, good paying jobs leave say, Lancashire, and end up as sweat shop jobs in Sri Lanka. The company increases its profits ... to the point where it can easily afford lawyers and Google Page Ranking people to deflect the flack ... the economy in Lancashire suffers (sure there are jobs at McDonald's) and the poor sods overseas work for peanuts, if they are lucky. And of course, the quality controls are iffy. It seems that every day stuff is being recalled because it is not safe ... too much lead in the paint or something (As an aside, my mum must have hated me because she bought me toy soldiers made out of lead ... not just the paint the whole damn toy!)

And what about the shipping of the stuff. Ships no longer are crewed by highly trained seamen. They are registered in Panama and Liberia rather than London or Montreal because England and Canada insist that ships registered in their countries are safe ... they float, their radar works, the Captain is sober and literate, and they don't leak oil whenever they are parked.

Enough ranting for now ....

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

good rant Eric.:D i am more concerned about many of OUR people,unable to get jobs, :(

Re: Slave Labour and us!
 

The fact is if you want a shirt for £5, it's been made in the far east by an 8 year old kid who got $1 a week for it. If your happy with that then fine.

If not but you still want to pay peanuts for your clothes then go to Oxfam or any other charity shop.

Otherwise stop bleating and pay a reasonable amount for your togs.