by Euryclea

Created on: February 04, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

To be honest part of me is feeling frustrated. I feel that in todays world, a world in which many people are aware of sweatshop labour, and the fact that it is used to make many cheap clothes, as well as other items. I ask myself why people do not do more research into clothes brands. We know about the issues of fair trade and sweatshop labour. We know that people work long hours for little money in countries like China which have very few health and safety laws. Yet we still buy clothes from companies which use sweatshop labour. We know about it. Yet at the moment many people seem to prefer to be able to push it to the sidelines. They rather not have it pushed in front of their faces where they cannot ignore it. Are we as a society saying that we would rather your children work in hazardous conditions for long hours making that nice red dress, mini skirt or cropped top. Whilst we can afford to send ours to school.

It is really upsetting. When I think that there is a possibility that we live in a society in which I think the price of the clothes we buy on the high street, is more important than another family in a far off country not having the money to send a child to school. Instead that child is meant to spend twelve hours a day working in slave conditions.

We ask ourselves why do businesses not employ workers in our own countries. Perhaps, the answer is that businesses have realised that most people in our countries would like items to be as cheap as possible. Meaning that they could no longer employ workers in our countries.

Have you ever heard of the Ain't I a woman campaign. These are women that campaigned outside DKNY for better conditions and pay.

The made in America label has been known to used sweatshop labour in Saipan.

Wal-Mart has been known to use Sweatshop labour in Bangladesh.

Cadbury's and Hersheys have been known in the past to use Child Labour in West Africa.

My main reason for posting this as a topic is so I can increase awareness and encourage debate.

http://www.cleanclothes.org/companies.htm

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