Child Labor(Sweatshops)

[Música101]

What do you think of the use of child labor to make clothes. We had to reserch it in International Business last year. I think it's heartbreaking to see a five year old making clothes for like 1 cent a day. =[

[istanbulgal]

Child labor of ANY kind is not only heart-breaking, but wrong & it should be illegal, but sadly, in many countries is not.

The last statistic I read, it estimated that there are about 200 million of these child laborers in the world. They work in construction, coal mines, sweatshops and even worse, prostitution.

[jandros]

Ooooh this is such a long and terrible story. It seems like it happens everywhere, in one form or another, even in the most civilized countries in the world. But in our countries (Europe, Americas, Middle East) it's so hidden! And I've read that in Paris (for example), it's such an "institution" in some sectors, and because of the violent-crime aspect that has grown around it, that even the police are afraid to go into some sectors. But of course I don't mean to single out Paris, because it's EVERYWHERE. And it's so profitable .... politicians can be bribed ("bought"), police/militia can be bought... that's why it's so hard to find, and so hard to deal with.

Anyway, to answer your basic question, this makes me more angry and more sad that anything else that I can think of. The people involved in sweat shops, in any way at all, are not even people. They're not human, they're dogs. They're not even dogs, they're worms.

Even some orphanages are part of the cycle. Some orphanages provide the children, they sell the children. I don't even like to say or write those words, but maybe that's the worst part of all, people who are "trusted" to care for homeless children are some of the worst criminals.

[PROPEL]

I dont even want to think how it would be like working in those factories.
its terriable that people would even think of doing stuff like that.
its crazy.
their not even treated like people. its sad.

[buddy4]

Well its a double Edge sword....The child works bcz he HAVE TO fed his family or himself or some similar reason...SO if u somehow deprive him of job ...he or his family will suffer and if u let him work it is cruelty against humanity.
Since many times it is seen tht even if the child is freed from one place he will go to other.

[Zvezda]

I think it is a disgrace! Generally if a clothing item is very cheap (as are those of Primark, you have it in Spain as well I think), I do not buy it. I never have and never will buy Primark clothes, although I do appreciate that this might be the only way some people can afford to buy clothes for their families. There was a documentary of a British channel not so long ago, where they went to an Indian (I think) factory, where 5 year olds were working for a Primark supplier. It was heartbreaking for me to see them .

[jandros]

Zvezda, I agree with you more than I can say.

Buddy4, apparently in a lot of sweatshops, the children are not there by their own choosing at all. The owners use lies, tricks, leverage (threats), and sometimes even kidnapping to fill the shops with workers.......?

It's the biggest shame when a civilized society allows them to exist, or at least to allow terrible working conditions to exist. And some of the children are so young.