Pennies/Primark Child Labour

[jebus]

Is anyone else sick of the 'common man' harping on about how evil the Pennies/Primark chain is in light of the recent child labour scandal? Don't get me wrong I'm not endorsing child labour for a second, but people fail to admit that we all knew there was a price being paid somewhere for €9 hoodies, €10 shorts and €3 t-shirts. In light of the Nike child labour scandal in recent times it was rpeorte dthat there would be a huge drop off in sales, but it never happened, and people went about their buisness not caring where their Man Utd jersey came from, and the same will happen here, even with Primark and Nike's admission and subsequent withdrawl from this practice.

I also see people advocating boycotting Pennies, just as some did with Nike, but thats not the solution either, and I worry that Pennies pulling out of contracts will lead to some children being led into drug traffiking or prostitution. The right course of action is for Nike, Pennies etc. to enforce working standards in their 'sweat shops', or open their own factories in India, Bangladesh or wherever and ensure decent working conditions with decent pay. Ideal world scenario there I know but something needs to be done to halt child labour without causing the collapse of thousands of families in third world countries, and a two month hand wringing by the western world isn't going to do that

[kingdom hoop]

Good post.

If a given company is listed the market usually adversely reacts to news like this - share prices drop. Similarly in the marketplace, there might be a drop off in sales for a while. But it's all very short-term: investors and consumers wake up to morality and throw a little tantrum, for a while. But when the dust settles, the sweat still drips, and wallets still squeal for attention and nourishment. If the profits keep coming and prices are low consumers and investors look after number one. And can you really blame them?

For any meaningful improvement, pressure needs to be exerted closer to the scene of the crime. But as you touch upon, the victims in this case are forced into consenting to the practices owing to wider contexts; and authorities are slow to chastise the companies as the latter wield more power. And anyway where local mobilisation is nascent or absent, and authorities are corrupt/lazy/inept then companies will always screw the weak in some way. Maybe not as bad as child labour but in whatever way they can get away with in order to sate the market's and management's demands.

My ideal solution would be to give greater weight to 'soft' matters such as these in the markets through full transparency - i.e. independent reporting - so that companies are truly encouraged to be fair on employees. I agree there isn't much point us over here throwing a fit: it should be up to the host country to look after its own. But in the seeming absence of such maybe the concerned don't have much else to do but make themselves feel better about the situation?

[anto1208]

Anyone watch Blood sweat and t-shirts on bbc3 it was a reality show ( i know ) that got 6 young english college students and sent them to india to work in the industry. it was quite interesting to see it . The larger scale places had great conditions but the pay was terrible and the small back alley places with awfull conditions paid an awfull lot more.

But over all they work hard ,long and for very little money but as everyone working said if people don t buy the cheap t shirts the companies won't employ them and they will have even less and be in the same poor conditions.

I wouldnt bycot shops like next or top shop for using sweat shops ( i wouldnt shop there because the clothes are really poor quality)

I think rather than boycott them a effort to get the shops to force up the minimum wages over there would be better. instead of paying some one 20p for a days work they could pay them 50p.

They came across some kids working and called in the cops the other workers gave the mgrief sayin gnow that family will have no income at all that you have just made there life 10 times harder.

[pete]

These stories come out every year & nothing changes as people/consumers really don't care enough to change their behaviour.

2007 article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/jul/16/supermarkets.retail2)

Child labour seems wrong to us in the West but in third world countries children probably leave school early anyway. Pay is more complicated as you have situations where if paid more money then could be earning more than a doctor. Probably best that large corporations employ doctors & others directly themselves for the staff.

TBH I don't know if Fair Trade food products achieves anything but maybe something similar for clothes would be in order?