Sunday, February 10, 2013

Disney's sad sweatshop story

Have you ever heard anything about sweatshops? Do you know where and how your clothes are made? Do you want to know more?  I hope this article will make you think about problems around us or...it won't.  Let's find out!

What is a sweatshop?

Sweatshop (or sweat factory) is a workplace in the third world with a very low pay by our standards and very poor working conditions. Sweatshops exploit their workers whose basic worker rights are not respected. Unfortunately, not only adults work in such "hell", child labor is active too. Many popular companies use cheap labour force, in this list there are such big companies as  Reebok, Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Ikea,  Adidas, Starbucks, Puma, Gap, Apple, Disney, etc. 

Let's take a Disney sweatshop.

Disney has a sad sweatshop history. There were many scandals and accidents even suicides connected with unfair relation to workers on their factories.



Here is some examples of different Disney factories. (all information taken from reliable sources)

China:

  • Workers as young as 14 years old
  • Young people are forced to work 10-13 hours a day producing Disney’s children’s books six or seven days a week.
  • The workers are paid 33 to 41 cents an hour.
  • It is common for the workers to be cheated of their overtime pay.
  • Workers have no health insurance or pension.
  • At one factory, there are four to five accidents a week. Many people have lost their fingers. "But instead of doing something about the machines, the factory just hires new workers. And the accidents simply continue."
  • Factories coach workers on how to answer inspectors' questions.


Bangladesh:

  • Workers paid 5 cents an hour when Pooh shirts sell for $17.99.
  • Workers are forced to work 14-hour days, seven days a week.
  • Workers are beaten if they do not meet quotas.
  • Speaking is prohibited.
  • Disney pulled out of factory after employees publicly complained about poor working conditions.

Haiti:

  • Workers earn 30 cents an hour.
  • Employs workers under the legal age.



Disney is only one of the companies that  use cheap labour force to produce their products. But how to stop them? 

However, if the workers would be paid well it means that prices will increase. So, are we ready to pay more to have a happy ending for others?

Firstly, adults that are working there just do not have another alternatives, but what about children? There is no fun for them. They are working for a whole day, they do not have any possibilities to have any education. "Bringing smiles to children is what Disney is known for, and working with UNICEF to help achieve this goal is something we are very proud to do." said one of the company's representative, when Disney donated $1million dollars for UNICEF.   I think it is just a deception for us and attempt to hush up the scandal.  Maybe the UN or another global organization need to start actions to prevent children labour. But the main problem of sweatshop issue is poverty, if there were not be need of money people wouldn't work in such terrible conditions. So, this problem won't be easy to solve, as during many years we are trying  to stop poverty.

Secondly, there is no benefits of closing sweatshops as a lot of people think. If the sweatshop closed, many people wouldn't have a work, which means they wouldn't have any money and it will be hard to find a new job, as they went to work in the sweatshop because they hadn't got any alternatives.

Finally, I think the right way is to make employers to pay appropriate salaries, to respect workers rights. But to achieve this goal people all over the world must start think about this problem and take measures. 



*the information about sweatshops in different countries was taken from yhis sources:
      -National Labor Committee 
  -Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior 
    -National Labor Committee (pdf)
 -Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 3, 1996

21 comments:

  1. I like it! Very easy to understand this information!I think that this creator used only needed and interesting information,pictures and video!

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  2. it is a difficult problem. Everyone wants to pay less and to earn more...

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    Replies
    1. I agree, but this is how we live.

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  3. I was in Disneyland, but i never thought about it.

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  4. I do not care about sweatshops, I want to buy cheap things

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    Replies
    1. aren't you just a selfish self cetenterd person

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    2. I like cheap things but I don't like slavery

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  5. Funny pictures! Especially I like fishes. I like Disney films! I do not want to think about sweatshops

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    Replies
    1. Not wanting to think about sweatshops is the exact reason Disney is getting away with it.

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  6. I want to Disneyland! Its is my dream. And do not break it! Who cares?

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    Replies
    1. wow what a dream: to exploit children working overseas

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  7. Fishes are cool. Fisshing, shopping- our life consists of pleasures

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  8. Interesting theme. Very actual. Very serious

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  9. There are some mistakes. But it was interesting to read)

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  10. Ты сама сделала? Это типа диснеевские сладости?

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  11. Great work with the pics, keep it up.......we need to think beyond our own selfish interests

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  12. Did anyone even look at the Works Cited??? An article published in 1996 was used as a reference! That's 17 freaking years ago! Are conditions bad in overseas factories? Yes, but Disney along with several other companies that have been listed above have made dozens of improvements, launched many internal investigations, and have gone to great lengths to improve the health of these factories. Do they still need help? Sure, but let's not forget that if it weren't for these companies, many of these children working in the factories would be out making money with their bodies for pennies. Stop trying to make villains and start shedding spotlight on the fact that things are getting better

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    Replies
    1. Sure, we will start shining spotlights—as soon as you stop minimizing the effect of the abuse perpetuated by Walt Disney by making excuses for it.

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