Sweatshops

The term “sweatshop” refers to those factories relying on the exploitation and abuse of workers. Sweatshops rely on and promote racism, sexism, classism and many other human rights violations.

Corporations have been moving manufacturing processes from relatively prosperous economies and stable democracies to take advantage of cheap labour and escape government scrutiny and criticism from human rights and workers' rights organisations.

Sweatshop workers face dangerous and exploitative conditions including sub-minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, corporal punishment, and illegal firings. According to the International Labour Organization, nearly 171 million children are engaged in hazardous work, of which 111 million are younger than 15.

The health burdens placed upon sweatshop workers have been extensively documented, and include exposure to noxious fumes, organophosphate compounds, and silica dust, resulting in record high cancer, asthma, bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, and leukaemia rates in many regions because workers aren’t provided with masks and gloves.

As consumers, we should ask ourselves: should corporations really be allowed to shop around the world for the most easily abused workforce and are we going to contribute to it by purchasing their products