The Problem
Why sweatshops exist - In the United States, the rule of law prevails. Our Constitution guarantees equal rights for all people, and our government protects and enforces those rights. In response to sweatshops that existed earlier in our nation's history, laws (such as minimum wage laws) were enacted to force factory owners to improve workers' wages and working conditions. In contrast, countries with sweatshops generally don't have a constitution that guarantees equal rights for all people, and the laws of those countries don't force the government to safeguard the rights of its workers. In those countries, governments have little incentive to stop these oppressive practices and, in fact, often encourage the big profits that result from sweatshop labor. In addition, citizens of these countries don't feel safe rising up against or challenging their governments. These citizens often fear retribution or retaliation and therefore stay silent in the face of inhumane working conditions. The problem of sweatshop labor, therefore, continues to exist.
Sweatshops are problematic for many reasons:
Low standard of living - The most obvious problem created by sweatshops is the low pay for the workers. The low wages are not enough to live on, and workers often face starvation and inhumane living conditions as they can't afford to buy food and shelter.
Child labor - With not enough money to pay for the bare necessities, these workers are forced to have their children - sometimes as young as eight years old - work to bring in more money for the family. These young children are then subject to the same oppressive and potentially dangerous work conditions as their parents and miss out on a proper education.
Long hours - Workers are paid astonishingly low wages to work fourteen to eighteen hours per day (often seven days per week). When parents are forced to work these long hours, their children, if not at work with their parents, must fend for themselves. These children must get dinner for themselves, do their own schoolwork, and care for any younger siblings.
Bad working conditions - Employees toil at small work stations often far away from the few fans in the factory. Sweatshops don't have stable heat and air conditioning - or the factory owners choose to save money even when heat and air conditioning is available - when it is extremely cold or hot. Workers are forced to use dangerous machinery that can lead to serious injuries or death. Factories are susceptible to fires, and some of the factories don't have fire exits. Safety measures are abandoned for the sake of profits. An example of poor safety measures in a factory was the 2012 Bangladesh factory fire. There were no exits for the women to leave and the owners told the ladies that nothing was wrong. In the end, many people were seriously injured and killed.
No worker rights - Workers in sweatshops are treated with very little respect and have no legal rights to improve their working conditions. The owners demand that the employees work under these harsh conditions. Workers' rights don't exist, and they have very little ability to change their circumstances.
Sweatshops are problematic for many reasons:
Low standard of living - The most obvious problem created by sweatshops is the low pay for the workers. The low wages are not enough to live on, and workers often face starvation and inhumane living conditions as they can't afford to buy food and shelter.
Child labor - With not enough money to pay for the bare necessities, these workers are forced to have their children - sometimes as young as eight years old - work to bring in more money for the family. These young children are then subject to the same oppressive and potentially dangerous work conditions as their parents and miss out on a proper education.
Long hours - Workers are paid astonishingly low wages to work fourteen to eighteen hours per day (often seven days per week). When parents are forced to work these long hours, their children, if not at work with their parents, must fend for themselves. These children must get dinner for themselves, do their own schoolwork, and care for any younger siblings.
Bad working conditions - Employees toil at small work stations often far away from the few fans in the factory. Sweatshops don't have stable heat and air conditioning - or the factory owners choose to save money even when heat and air conditioning is available - when it is extremely cold or hot. Workers are forced to use dangerous machinery that can lead to serious injuries or death. Factories are susceptible to fires, and some of the factories don't have fire exits. Safety measures are abandoned for the sake of profits. An example of poor safety measures in a factory was the 2012 Bangladesh factory fire. There were no exits for the women to leave and the owners told the ladies that nothing was wrong. In the end, many people were seriously injured and killed.
No worker rights - Workers in sweatshops are treated with very little respect and have no legal rights to improve their working conditions. The owners demand that the employees work under these harsh conditions. Workers' rights don't exist, and they have very little ability to change their circumstances.
Affects of the Low wages
These are the houses the workers live in. The houses are very crowded and unsanitary. Most workers don't have enough money to afford clean houses with a a stable water supply and air conditioning and heating.
Factory Conditions
These are the stations the employees work at. There is little room to work and dangerous machinery surround the workers. According to the New York Times, "sweatshop workers break or lose approximately 40,000 fingers each year. " (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/business/worldbusiness/05sweatshop.html?pagewanted=all)