Sweatshops Essay

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Sweatshops are considered to be a thing in the past, but the truth is they are more common than people would think. Many companies use sweatshops as a way to produce more products for little money. To some companies, their labels have become more of a priority than the workers who made it all possible. The ‘made in Italy’ label is very distinguished, yet how the products are made may not be as celebrated as its name. People are “being trafficked into Italy” (Addelman 2012) to work in factories for very little pay and hard working conditions. The little money earned is spent paying off bills of coming into the country. People working in these shops are being paid barely half of the minimum wage in Italy. Some work days can last seventeen hours. Not only is the pay and work hours bad, the jobs are dangerous too. One man lost two of his fingers in a machine and after being taken to the hospital, his boss furious for having to pay for the bill, is expected to go back to work in excruciating pain to pay off the medical bill (Lee-Potter 2007). In a Chinese sweatshop in Italy a fire broke out and killed 7 people. Because of all the dust and fabric on the floor, the fire spread quickly trapping workers inside due to iron bars on windows to keep them in (Aloisi 2013). The reason for those 7 workers to still be at the factory is that they were sleeping in “cardboard cubicles” (Aloisi 2013). Most workers cannot afford to have homes outside of the factories and sleep where they work. When factories are shut down, its inhabitants are -2- forced to find refuge elsewhere. That often means being deported back to their homeland since many have not been able to pay the costs due to being trafficked into Italy. Brand names like Gucci and Prada p... ... middle of paper ... ... health and safety standards…” (Background of Sweatshops). In hindsight, the US is no better in labor conditions than any other country. Some companies have made strides in abolishing sweatshops in their business. Fruit of the Loom is one of those companies taking the strides. They are “the fourth college-logo apparel company to sign the Bangladesh Safety Accord, an agreement between unions and brands that will transform the Bangladesh garment industry from deathtraps to safe work places” (Fruit of the Loom). Adidas is another company who signed the same deal. Even though Fruit of the Loom is no Gucci or Prada, hopefully people will start to realize that some companies are taking the extra step to help people while others are merely taking advantage of those less fortunate. People want to avoid companies that use sweatshops as a form of labor, but do not know how.

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