observer Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Ever thought how your cheap clothes, are kept so cheap? A group from the fashion industry visited India, to follow the source of their sartorial wealth. The cotton was being picked by an army of workers on ?1 per day. The back street sweat shops were employing children, for up to 18 hours a day, where they slept on a shop floor shared with rats, with an open sewer running outside. Although the retail associations claim their dresses/shirts etc are "ethically" sourced, there is no clear statutory labelling on clothes to provide this assurance. Such is the nature of capitalism, it will provide "cheap" goods, at the expense of the exploitation of labour; hence the demise of the cotton industry in Lancashire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve the Original Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 This is nothing new and lets be honest its always a question of supply and demand and we all live in a throw away society not like the old days where you bought good quality clothing adn they lasted for a long long time,nowdays if you get 5 washes out of them then you have had your moneys worth.. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Perhaps comsumers need to be aware that there are supply side consequences for their access to cheap goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve the Original Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 They already know but when it comes to money its everyone for themselves.. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Errm, guess your right - it's all these charity appeals that are confusing me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted May 15, 2008 Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 while moralisticaly we would not as consumers wish to exploit third world labour, I am afraid in the economic climate the cheap clothes is offset against high cost of everything else. I now have little choice than to buy ?3 shirts from asda as times are hard here now and they are getting worse. I don't mind admitting, I am begining to struggle constantly now, my outgoings exceed my income as a result of not being frugal when times were better, maybe my fault but I dont think anyone could forsee this disater of costs. Everyday we all wake up to a new tax or law to make joe public fined for doing something completely reasonable wrong from this scumbag government and other encumbant authorities....things are about to go very very wrong here and as the old addage goes.."Charity begins at home", and I cannot afford to think about others right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2008 Interesting to discover that, at least globally; we are not our brother's keeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 While I struggle, so do they, when I can rest my oars so shall they. on a global scale, those that are currently resting their oars at the moment are not comming to my aid or the aid of many people who are begining to feel the effects of low anual pay raises for the last five years or so when compared to inflation (effectivly a pay cut). at what point do we become the exploited. I'm subcontracted to the company I work in at a rate of ?600 a day, more than I earn in a week by quite a way, I accept this exploitation, as do those in the sweatshops, as without it I and they would maybe not have any income at all, if they can better their conditions then they will by their own volition, as will I. if they were to sanction these cheap items, these people (who if they realy want to can walk away in most cases) will loose their one revenue stream that is keeping them from starvation or greater poverty. and I as a consumer will also suffer as my steps towards poverty will increase in the fact that my ability to afford basic essentials such as clothing will reduce. I'd love to be able help them out, but not at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Yes Legion - that is the way life is - unfortunately. I cannot afford to buy very good clothes - so I buy nice clothes cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Legion, If that is the case and you get charged out at ?600.00 a day I have an ideal solution. Come and work for my company and I will pay you ?140 a day plus a few perks as long as you can bring your current contract with you. I'll charge you at say ?580.00 That way, my company gets the ?580 a day and you get a nice pay rise and the end user saves a few quid a week too.... everyones a winner!! God I love capitalism!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 mind you it depends what you do I suppose. I mean if you are a male escort or something I might struggle to integrate that one into my business plans!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Fair point Legion, but more of an arguement over the crumbs from the rich man's table, than a recognition that the rich man exists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 Legion, If that is the case and you get charged out at ?600.00 a day I have an ideal solution. Come and work for my company and I will pay you ?140 a day plus a few perks as long as you can bring your current contract with you. I'll charge you at say ?580.00 That way, my company gets the ?580 a day and you get a nice pay rise and the end user saves a few quid a week too.... everyones a winner!! God I love capitalism!! Happily...but the way capitalism works is a much bigger picture, you see the chap who pays the ?600 a day for me(chap A) to the chap who exploits my skills(chap , go and play golf together and Chap A agrees to pay ?600 a day does so because Chap B pays him a backhander and the ?600 does not come out of Chap A's own pocket, but Company A's so he has no quarms about spending other peoples money because the more he justifys spent, the more he recieves himself...such is capitalism ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonF Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 Personally I would much rather have fewer clothes of better and less quesionable quality than wear the sweat shop stained cheapo varieties sold on much of the high street. However attractive an outfit may appear, the way it has been produced makes it deeply ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 I can understand your sentiment Alison - I hope you earn enough to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex padgate girl Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Can someone tell me what these children would be doing for jobs if they did not do this, television tells us that they are sold for prostitution or fates worse than that by their parents because they cannot afford to feed them. Maybe many of these children would die of poverty because they would beg on the streets for food. Am i being nieve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hadn't looked at it like that before - you've got a point: suppose if some folk arn't slaves, they'd starve, so that makes it OK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex padgate girl Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Not sure it makes it ok Obs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 but it makes it acceptable in some eyes I guess!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Can someone tell me what these children would be doing for jobs if they did not do this, television tells us that they are sold for prostitution or fates worse than that by their parents because they cannot afford to feed them. Maybe many of these children would die of poverty because they would beg on the streets for food.Am i being nieve. Doesn't exploitation happen everywhere, even in this country (minimum wage etc.)? I don't say that it is ok, but do they know any different? We in the West live a different life style and do have a choice of taking a poorly paid job, or living off the State. These children don't have any choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Peter, how on earth can you call the minimum wage exploitation? Not everyone can earn ?30,000.00 a yearyou know. Some people probably don't even deserve minimum wage especially based on some of the ones We've employed over the years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Perhaps he meant the employers were being exploited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Peter, how on earth can you call the minimum wage exploitation? Not everyone can earn ?30,000.00 a yearyou know. Some people probably don't even deserve minimum wage especially based on some of the ones We've employed over the years Exploitation? Easy. As an employer, you set your stall out, as to what "you" think the company can afford to pay. A lot of companies don't follow that rule. They tend to pay what they can get away with regardless of the fact that they are making mega bucks profit. (ie Supermarkets) Industry are also getting away with paying the minimum wage because they take on temporary workers, who are told take it or leave it. And yes, some don't even deserve the minimum wage. But that is a separate problem and either means they should be sent back for attitude training or not taken on in the first place. Just a question. Could you live on a minimum wage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Peter, you obviously have never employed anyone. I can only pay what my customers decide to pay me What you need to realise is that when you employ someone, you don't just pay out the minimum wage and that is it. There is employers tax Employers NI Then in our case there vehicle HP or lease costs Insurance (vehicle) Insurance (liability) Vehicle equipment (rack, sat nav etc.) Diesel (about ?90.00) per van to fill it up and lasts about 3 days Uniform and overalls Mobile phone rental and call costs Laptop (not all employees but some do) On site Tools - drills etc so your man on minimum wage costs me and my company 3 times that to employ EVERY month. So when you take into account that most of my customers want to pay on a minimum of 30 - 40 day terms (some take 60 - 90 days to pay) I pay my staff wages on the 25th of the month.... every month. The taxman wants his cut every 19th of the month without fail and the VAT man wants his cut every 3 months regardless. If you don't pay on time they charge you interest and threaten to send the bailiffs in to take away your equipment so you wont trade anymore. The businesses like mine in the south of England are employing more and more Polish and Eastern European labour on minimum wages and the lads who are the trained engineers are losing out because they can't compete And no; of course I couldn't live on the minimum wage and after 10 years in business and 10 years of employing local lads from the so called deprived areas of the town I don't think I should have too. Most of the lads who I employ and have employed in the past (and I will state right now that I have never employed anyone on just the minimum wage for more than a month) don't have a ?1,000.00+ a month mortgage 5 cars and a family to feed either. So please don't bleat on to me about the expolited employees Peter. It doesnt wash in the real world of business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Ok so his point about exploitation sort of applies - Hear me out before you grumble please. Company A goes to poor nations and gives jobs cheap (because of their costs)- they make and deliver clothes to stores. Stores buy these clothes - mark up the price to cover costs of their employees. People buy the cheap clothes because that is what they can afford. It becomes a catch -22 situation. We are all guilty. Until we come to a system where money is not an issue - we will always have exploitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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