Protecting the Sweatshop Worker

Protecting the Sweatshop Worker

               Government officials want the business of sweatshops and they will do just about anything to keep the business in their country. Textile exports create 26.5 billion dollars per year for Bangladesh. Ridding this country of this kind of income would be devastating for their economy. The people running these businesses know that it is imperative that they provide cheap labor and save as much money on overhead as possible. When workers fight against this they are faced with brutality from police or hired thugs. If workers received the pay they are requesting or the safe conditions they are requesting then the profit margins would decrease and Bangladesh could see a decline in their exports.

              I found a great website that really encapsulates the current struggles and the strides that are being made with fair wages and working environments. The website is www.LaborRights.org and it explains that there has in fact been slight improvement thanks to the media attention following several factory disasters from 2012-2015. The disasters caught media attention because of the large amount of fatalities and injuries. Putting a spotlight on these factories made people more aware of the situations and encouraged the public to speak out and educate themselves on where their belongings were being made. Since most of this textile work is completely outsourced the big businesses such as Nike are not help responsible for the working conditions, injuries or deaths. Now that people are becoming more aware of these conditions and asking questions the big businesses are forced to do something to maintain a good public image. The International Labor Rights Forum plans to capitalize on the increased media attention and education surrounding sweatshops. The ILRF has created the "Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh," which is a legally-binding agreement that between global organizations and apparel companies that utilize Bangladeshi textile sweatshops. The agreements states that the apparel companies must work with their suppliers to improve or fix current health and safety violations. In addition to this governments agree to enforce labor rights protections in these sweatshops.

                                                 
               
                There has been improvements in the sweatshops and the reason seems to be that consumers are speaking out about the injustice and the businesses are forced to listen. Maintaining a good imagine is imperative to a business' success. There is still much work to be done though. Even when these companies sign contracts and try and mend their image it is not enough. The company H&M for example is the largest producer of garments in Bangladesh and has not improved any safety hazards since signing the Accord document. You can view an article on H&M and their failed promises here.
              I found a great website that didn't seem promising at first, only offering "36 Shocking Sweatshop Statistics." The view the statistics the website provided click here. This website was a great resource because it includes a 17 minute documentary on the working conditions of sweatshops and the living conditions of the workers as well. The video is below. It is powerful not only to hear about these conditions but to be able to see them with our eyes and to make the fact real to us.