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So what are the relative safety rates of textile workers in China vs energy workers in the US? I would be genuinely interested to know.

fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
Not sure about China, but in Bangladesh where most clothes are made, it is dire. Building collapses, fires, environmental pollution (leather processing), worker injuries. Really bad. Rana disaster 2013 http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bangladesh-garment-factory-disaster http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bang...
dragontamer 11y ago
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusiness.money http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusin... > Between 25% and 50% of the factories in the region restrict access to toilets and drinking water during the workday. > The same percentage deny workers at least one day off in seven. > In more than half of Nike's factories, the report said, employees worked more than 60 hours a week. In up to 25%, workers refusing to do overtime were punished. Gotta keep those margins. You aren't allowed water because that'd cost the company too much. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Inside-Chinese-suicide-sweatshop-workers-toil-34-hour-shifts-make-iPod.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Ins... > Steel wire meshes have been fitted to windows at Foxconn's factory to stop workers jumping after a rash of suicides believed to be due to harsh management practices ------------------- The worst issue is that Chinese media restricts free speech and labor unions, making it hard to gather statistics of any kind. In the US, we are required by law to report injuries and accidents on the job. China... not so. And since these injuries are embarrassing to state-owned companies, government censorship exists to cover-up these sorts of accidents a lot. Non-government organizations are subject to crackdowns of course. When a country doesn't have labor unions fighting for workers rights, these sorts of issues happen. >> “I work on the plastic molding machine from 6 in the morning to 6 at night,” said Xu Wenquan, a tiny, baby-faced 16-year-old whose hands were covered with blisters. Asked what had happened to his hands, he replied, the machines are “quite hot, so I’ve burned my hands.”

fnordfnordfnord 11y ago

Not sure about China, but in Bangladesh where most clothes are made, it is dire. Building collapses, fires, environmental pollution (leather processing), worker injuries. Really bad. Rana disaster 2013 http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bangladesh-garment-factory-disaster http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/death-traps-the-bang...

dragontamer 11y ago

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusiness.money http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/apr/14/ethicalbusin... > Between 25% and 50% of the factories in the region restrict access to toilets and drinking water during the workday. > The same percentage deny workers at least one day off in seven. > In more than half of Nike's factories, the report said, employees worked more than 60 hours a week. In up to 25%, workers refusing to do overtime were punished. Gotta keep those margins. You aren't allowed water because that'd cost the company too much. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Inside-Chinese-suicide-sweatshop-workers-toil-34-hour-shifts-make-iPod.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1285980/Revealed-Ins... > Steel wire meshes have been fitted to windows at Foxconn's factory to stop workers jumping after a rash of suicides believed to be due to harsh management practices ------------------- The worst issue is that Chinese media restricts free speech and labor unions, making it hard to gather statistics of any kind. In the US, we are required by law to report injuries and accidents on the job. China... not so. And since these injuries are embarrassing to state-owned companies, government censorship exists to cover-up these sorts of accidents a lot. Non-government organizations are subject to crackdowns of course. When a country doesn't have labor unions fighting for workers rights, these sorts of issues happen. >> “I work on the plastic molding machine from 6 in the morning to 6 at night,” said Xu Wenquan, a tiny, baby-faced 16-year-old whose hands were covered with blisters. Asked what had happened to his hands, he replied, the machines are “quite hot, so I’ve burned my hands.”