The Human Rights Watch is an independent organization that is working to defend and protect human right. Our mission statement is to “scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all.” (“Human Rights Watch,” 2014). We have been investigating the Bangladesh factory fire that occurred on November 24, 2012 and have found that managers had exits blocked, doors locked, and refused to let workers escape the factory after the fire alarms began due to a deadline they had for a big order. This big order was partially for Walmart, who claims Tazreen was no longer supplying to them at the time of the fire. Also, the fire hydrants at the factory were not working properly and the factory did not have proper equipment to fight or prevent a fire. This nine-story building was only authorized to be a three-story building. Fire drills were performed in the factory during lunchtime, which is the majority of the workers were outside. The managers did this to avoid cutting into work time. During this fire on November 24, 2012, many died and many were injured. Some had no other choice than to jump out of windows. All the people who are injured and all the families that lost loved ones are not receiving any compensation. Some have to sell their belongings. Many of them cannot afford medical care and can no longer work due to injuries (“Human Rights Watch,” 2014). Now, we need to take action and talk to Tazreen’s consumer companies to hopefully reach agreements and get both sides of the story. We also ne... ... middle of paper ... ...nd then fixing it, practicing fire drills at a proper time so that employees are informed about what to do in this instance, and following humane rules by letting workers out of the building in a case of an emergency. Also, this building was never intended to be as large as it was; owners need to abide by the authorizations. In order to accomplish all these things, money will be necessary, a lot more than is available right now. We are currently writing all the retailers involved to consider donating not only for compensation but to pay higher prices to ensure better workplaces for these garment workers. We have also been taking some small, voluntary donations from other companies. America retailers need to help, they earn billions a year and can afford to help out these factories that are help them to make those billions by producing for them at such a low price.
Various groups support or embody the anti-sweatshop movement today. The National Labor Committee brought sweatshops into the mainstream media in the 1990s when it exposed the use of sweatshop and child labor to sew Kathie Lee Gifford's Wal-Mart label. United Students Against Sweatshops is active on college campuses. The International Labor Rights Fund filed a lawsuit[20] on behalf of workers in China, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Indonesia, and Bangladesh against Wal-Mart charging the company with knowingly developing purchasing policies particularly relating to price and delivery time that are impossible to meet while following the Wal-Mart code of conduct. Labor unions, such as the AFL-CIO, have helped support the anti-sweatshop movement out of concern both for the welfare of people in the developing world and that companies will move jobs from the United States elsewhere in order to capitalize on lower costs. For example, the American labor union UNITE HERE, which represents garment workers, has only approximately 3,000 garment workers remaining in its base, because some of the larger garment making operations have already been transferred o...
...afety should have inspected the building prior to issuing permits for further renovation, especially knowing this structure was going to be housing 124 residents. It seems that lack of knowledge from prior owners and lack of responsibility of city officials are responsible for this collapse and sadly, the loss of 9 brave men in the line of duty. The Boston Fire Department could have worked closer with the owner/ construction crew at the Hotel Vendome, and the deficiencies would have been found, and they would have known the instability they were walking into on June 17. At that point, firefighting operations would have more than likely been defensive. The firefighters did not conduct pre-incident planning which would have let them know they were going to face the construction barriers while attempting to lay hose, maneuver hose, and get the hose to a water source.
The documentary effectively utilizes a logos and pathos approach to highlight the unsafe working conditions of the Bangladeshi garment workers. The positive aspect of this documentary is the firsthand accounts of the hazardous conditions and the focus on what has been done to better the situation, and where the large retailers are still lacking in their ethical responsibility to ensure safe workspace. Thus, CBC’s documentary is an educational piece that brings forth the current state of the Bangladesh garment factory after Rana Plaza, and implores for heightened responsibility from the government and the retailers in
What can be done about child labor? Well, we could write to the factories or the tobacco fields and tell them to stop child labor. Also We could ask the stores who made their clothes or ask if they know if kids make some of the clothes. Also, we could ask the stores if children are involved with making the clothes and if they say yes then ask them to monitor the factories.
“Sweatshops Are the Norm in the Global Apparel Industry. We’re Standing up to Change That.” International Labor Rights Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. .
The Rana Plaza disaster happened April 24, 2013, where more than 3,000 employees were on duty, around nine in the morning the building collapsed in Savar, Bangladesh. More than 1,000 employees died at the hands of an irresponsible ego-centric, mob, Sohel Rana. The Bangladeshi policy concluded Sohel Rana with other 40 people responsible for the killing of 1,134 garment workers. As a consequence of this tragedy Unions were created to protect garment workers, as this event was not an accident, it could have been prevented. Top Brand companies that outsource to Bangladesh signed treaties and alliances to create a safe environment to factories not only in Bangladesh but around the world.
The key area of law that this question is concerned with, is the breach of convention rights. Specifically on whether Tom and Soraya have a claim under the Human rights Act 1998, which incorporates the rights of the European convention of human rights into UK domestic law. It can be argued that from the number of issues raised in the problem that Tom and Soraya do have a sufficient claim. A number of facts can be highlighted from the case to underline this; Firstly, the possibility of discrimination and racism by the minister introducing the act with the reference to ‘dangerous west Africans’. As well as the possibility of racism and discrimination experienced by Tom with him being referred to as a ‘disease-ridden African’. Secondly in regards to the use of pictures taken from Soraya’s private Facebook account. Lastly, whether the terms within the act is compatible with convention rights and the UK’s obligation under Section 3(1) of the HRA.
Linda Lim, a professor at the University of Michigan Business School, visited Vietnam and Indonesia in the summer of 2000 to obtain first-hand research on the impact of foreign-owned export factories (sweatshops) on the local economies. Lim found that in general, sweatshops pay above-average wages and conditions are no worse than the general alternatives: subsistence farming, domestic services, casual manual labor, prostitution, or unemployment. In the case of Vietnam in 1999, the minimum annual salary was 134 U.S. dollars while Nike workers in that country earned 670 U.S. dollars, the case is also the similar in Indonesia. Many times people in these countries are very surprised when they hear that American's boycott buying clothes that they make in the sweatshops. The simplest way to help many of these poor people that have to work in the sweatshops to support themselves and their families, would be to buy more products produced in the very sweatshops they detest.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) and of the bodies for protection of human rights. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C., United States. Its ranking officers are its seven commissioners who are elected by OAS General Assembly for four years and work in a personal capacity and are not considered to represent their countries of origin. These officers have to be of high moral character and competent in the field of human rights. Any state party to a case has right to designate an ad hoc judge if its nationals are not in the court (Pasqualucci, 2003). IACHR is different among international human rights commissions in a way that it obligates private petitions and gives option for inter-state complaints. It has jurisdiction for individual complaints against a state party. One state party can file a case against another state party. Inter-American Court of Human Rights has adjudicatory and advisory jurisdiction like European Convention on Human Rights who has limited advisory jurisdiction opposed to IACHR says Thomas (200-).
Garment factories in the collapsed building are not H&M’s suppliers. But H&M is one of the largest buyers of garments from Bangladesh, owning 166 suppliers. After the disaster, global retailors, especially H&M, joined the safety plan as well as government pledged to raise wages for garment workers and
...n, about it reports a set of UN, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International human rights organizations. [40] [41]
Human rights are necessary for our world to continue to operate peacefully. But at one time human rights did not exist. Prior to the Second World War, “as long as governments did not interfere with the rights of neighboring countries, it could abuse its citizens in any way it wanted and never run afoul of international law strictures” (Bedesman, 2006, pp. 97). Like most laws, change only comes when extreme circumstances occur, such as World War 2 with regards to the Nazi’s. It became necessary for some type of international law to protect human rights. The United Nations came into being as an intergovernmental organization, with the purpose of saving future generations from the devastation of international conflict. At this time The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted.
Mainstream media, as well as the government, typically attempt to maintain a narrow focus, and provide select information on what they want the public to acknowledge. On many occasions, these facets of information capture our attention, and suppress our curiosity by turning it away from the significant topics or important facts, rather than encouraging people to engage in critical discussion towards a situation in its entirety. Instead, much of the mainstream media focuses on stories that are often slanted, misleading, or missing details. Human Rights Watch is an independent and worldwide organization who acts as a form of media, which is determined to expose as many facts as possible when it concerns human rights cases. Not only do they conduct
It is well known that international humanitarian law (the “IHL”) and International Human Rights Law (the “IHRL”) are two distinct disciplines. In recent years, however, the relationship between IHL and HRL has become very controversial. The interaction between IHL and IHRL raises a number of difficulties; however this was not always the case. Prior to the introduction of the UN Charter, a State had to make a declaration of war before engaging in armed conflict. As a result there was a sharp distinction between war and peace and it was certain when the laws of war were applicable. The introduction of the Charter has blurred this distinction as there is now a prohibition on the use of force and further difficulties have arisen following
The Charter of the United Nations that was laid out by the United Nations contained an “affirmation of faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small”. This is consistent with the mission of Amnesty International. As an organization they: “work to protect men, women and children wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. As a global movement of over seven million people, Amnesty International is the world 's largest grassroots human rights organisation. They investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilise the public, and help transform societies to create a safer, more just world” (n.d.) They protect people, defending their right to freedom truth and dignity by investigating and exposing abuses and galvanize a global movement and educate future generations so that eventually human rights for every single individual will be realized. Since 1961, they have been helping people to claim their rights across the