Sweatshop Labor

Sweatshop Labor

Sweatshop labor is an unethical bailout method for companies. In order to produce results for consumers demanding lower costs companies outsource their manufacturing to developing countries to save money, which in turn saves the consumer money. However it is highly unethical to do this. Outsourcing to developing countries allows the manufacturer to, unfairly, negotiate wages in their favor. Manufacturing firms pay workers in Mexico $1.80, workers in China 86 cents, and workers in Pakistan 23 cents per hour (Rudell, 2006). These wages are so far below the poverty line even for developing countries. There is a reason why sweatshops are accused about paying “starvation wages.” It is nearly impossible to live on the money these people make.

Sweatshop labor has been widely accepted in the clothing industry however. The biggest argument for the practice is that it helps developing countries grow their export business (Snyder, 2010). Corporate concerns for fairness that exist in America do not necessarily exist in the countries manufacturers outsource to. This causes two things. First it is the main reason why outsourcing and paying starvation wages even exists. Defendants of sweatshop labor use the fact that the workers are, albeit reluctantly, acting under their own free will to prevent trade acts against sweatshop labor as a practice. Second it is the ethical line that companies argue over. Conglomerate companies that’s main focus is to produce sales through low prices argue that they are helping developing countries build a proper export business trade. Opponents to sweatshop labor argue that they are exploiting and taking advantage of poor countries to increase their own wealth (Snyder, 2010).

At the end of the day a company will make decisions based on what they believe is best for themselves. Whether or not it is “right” is subjective to each person. The people deciding to retain unlivable