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Well, the original comment by L_Rahman is saying basically that. Except that it's phrased more like "while not everything is ok and you cannot just ignore the w

by nandemo 13y ago

Well, the original comment by L_Rahman is saying basically that. Except that it's phrased more like "while not everything is ok and you cannot just ignore the way the workers get abused, you also have to to consider that having money is better than having none".

Natsu 13y ago
That's a more reasonable opinion. I believe that the solution is to make sure people in situations like these have real, viable options. For example, places of employment with decent working conditions. Incidentally, many of the complaints against Chinese/Bangladesh/etc. factories could also be leveled against US factories per my experience. Other than the child labor bit, I've seen just about everything here, too, though I expect some of the problems are simply more widespread and occur more frequently. Factory managers know that their employees don't have a lot of options and tend to squeeze them hard. (Then collect bonuses for cost savings...) It was always amusing to hear them tell the crew how great it was that labor expenses were down. And yes, I did point out afterwards to the people that "labor expenses" === "your paychecks." For whatever reason, this was not obvious to some.
- DanBC 13y ago
  > Incidentally, many of the complaints against Chinese/Bangladesh/etc. factories could also be leveled against US factories per my experience. Other than the child labor bit, I've seen just about everything here, too, though I expect some of the problems are simply more widespread and occur more frequently. When a US factory burns down and kills all the employees inside because they'd been locked in during their 15 hour shift - which has happened more than once in Bangladesh - you can say that US factories are similar to Bangladeshi factories. I agree that conditions for many workers suck, but let's not pretend there's much similarity.
  - Pwnguinz 13y ago
    > When a US factory burns down and kills all the employees inside because they'd been locked in during their 15 hour shift. I give you the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, killing 146 garment workers. Same general gist, even: doors were locked by management from the outside "to prevent pilferage and unauthorized breaks". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fi...
    - DanBC 13y ago
      The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911 Lots of things have happened in the US since 1911. Factory fires killing employees still happen in Bangladesh. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24453165 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24453165 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24195441 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24195441
  - Natsu 13y ago
    It wasn't a factory, but there was a lawsuit over the Wal-Mart where the employees were locked inside while stocking habitually, only for someone to have a medical emergency. You're right that there are better protections in the USA. But day-to-day conditions are not so great--there's nothing particularly abnormal about 15-hour shifts, or people who would lose their jobs for refusing them.

by nandemo 13y ago

Natsu 13y ago

That's a more reasonable opinion. I believe that the solution is to make sure people in situations like these have real, viable options. For example, places of employment with decent working conditions. Incidentally, many of the complaints against Chinese/Bangladesh/etc. factories could also be leveled against US factories per my experience. Other than the child labor bit, I've seen just about everything here, too, though I expect some of the problems are simply more widespread and occur more frequently. Factory managers know that their employees don't have a lot of options and tend to squeeze them hard. (Then collect bonuses for cost savings...) It was always amusing to hear them tell the crew how great it was that labor expenses were down. And yes, I did point out afterwards to the people that "labor expenses" === "your paychecks." For whatever reason, this was not obvious to some.

DanBC 13y ago
> Incidentally, many of the complaints against Chinese/Bangladesh/etc. factories could also be leveled against US factories per my experience. Other than the child labor bit, I've seen just about everything here, too, though I expect some of the problems are simply more widespread and occur more frequently. When a US factory burns down and kills all the employees inside because they'd been locked in during their 15 hour shift - which has happened more than once in Bangladesh - you can say that US factories are similar to Bangladeshi factories. I agree that conditions for many workers suck, but let's not pretend there's much similarity.
- Pwnguinz 13y ago
  > When a US factory burns down and kills all the employees inside because they'd been locked in during their 15 hour shift. I give you the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, killing 146 garment workers. Same general gist, even: doors were locked by management from the outside "to prevent pilferage and unauthorized breaks". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fi...
  - DanBC 13y ago
    The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911 Lots of things have happened in the US since 1911. Factory fires killing employees still happen in Bangladesh. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24453165 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24453165 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24195441 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24195441
- Natsu 13y ago
  It wasn't a factory, but there was a lawsuit over the Wal-Mart where the employees were locked inside while stocking habitually, only for someone to have a medical emergency. You're right that there are better protections in the USA. But day-to-day conditions are not so great--there's nothing particularly abnormal about 15-hour shifts, or people who would lose their jobs for refusing them.