Chinese Laborer pleads for help in Halloween Decorations

[TaoPhoenix]

This is kinda scary!

http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/letter-chinese-laborer-pleading-help-found-halloween-decorations-202400773.html

[Carol Haynes]

The trouble is many countries (including most of Europe and the US) are no longer in a position where they can avoid goods made in these camps.

If large companies (such as Apple, which is also mentioned in the article) had any motivation to really deal with the issues they now recognise they would simply shift their production into more regulated markets. It isn't as though many of these companies are not charging enough for their products to move them to more reputable manufacturing markets and still make a profit!!!

It would also be, by far, the most effective way to force the Chinese government to protect their workers.

[Tinman57]

  And all of the companies that use Chinese forced labor say "We are aware of the conditions and are working on ways to improve them".
  BULLSHIT!!!  First of all, a product like Nike tennis shoes that sells from $75 to $200 in the U.S. and made for less than $10.00 in China should be a good sign that things aren't quite right, but yet they keep on selling them.  They've known this for years and years, but yet they are still made in China by forced labor.  They don't give a shit, their bottom line is $$$$, to hell with everything and everyone else, including human rights, or lack thereof.
  If they REALLY want to put a stop to this crap, move the factories back to the U.S. and take a little less profit.  You know the Chinese government isn't going to allow us to do inspections, at least not surprise inspections.  And if they did allow scheduled inspections, they would make everything really nice only for those inspection days.  Payroll records are just too easy to spoof, just keep two sets of records, one for the inspectors and one for the real slave labor records.  The only way they will EVER put a stop to this is to move the factories back to the U.S. where they know they can't get away with it.
  But we all know this will continue as long as people keep buying their products.....

[TaoPhoenix]

The book No Logo dealt with some of this mess.

[barney]

  But we all know this will continue as long as people keep buying their products.....

As a distaff observer noted, it's difficult to find anything to buy that isn't made in China - and even more difficult to buy anything made in the {USA|your non-China country of choice}.

The why of it at this point is pretty much moot - it exists.  We pretty much let it happen.  I recall my paternal grandfather ranting - or so I thought at the time - about buying made in China products back in the fifties and sixties.  Turns out he apparently had a valid rant.

The book No Logo dealt with some of this mess.

Yes it did.  Unfortunately, it didn't really offer viable, practical solutions  .

[Carol Haynes]

The other problem with buying 'locally' made products is the deceipt in labelling.

In Europe (and in the UK in particular it seems to me) products can be labelled Made in the UK/Europe (whatever) is a product is even partially assembled in that country - so all manufacturers have to do is pay some poor bugger in a far eastern sweatshop to do 95% of the work for threepence and a punch in the mouth and then get someone in the UK to glue a couple of bits together and box the product to say Made in Britain.

How do consumers even know where products are made now?

Face it America, you have no chance of forcing the issue in the US, and absolutely no chance of verified made in the US labels while China actually owns America. US politicians of all persuasions are simply to scared of China's financial clout in the US - all they would have to do is foreclose on US debts and the US would be back in the stone age over night and all US politicians know it. Even with the huge financial investment China has poured into the US you are on a precipice.

Also US outrage and trying to force China into acceptable practices would have some validity if the US ratified the international treaties on human rights and the rights of the child!!!!

Europe is no better and just as frightened as the US.

Short of rebuilding competitive manufacturing in the US and Europe there isn't any possibility of solving this issue, and that isn't going to happen because the only way the West can compete is to force similar work practices into the US and Europe which would cause civil war.

[Renegade]

I've love to comment, but that would be better saved for the Basement.

[Tinman57]

The other problem with buying 'locally' made products is the deceipt in labelling.

  Or you can do what Japan did over 20 years ago, created a HUGE industrial complex and named it USA.  The labels on all the products legally stated "Made in USA".

  And your absolutely right about China owning the U.S., lock, stock and two smoking barrels.  There was a big controversy years ago about China making large donations to politicians running for congress AND the senate, and their influencing on bills going before congress.  Funny though how after a couple of weeks it just faded away like dust in the wind.....

[tomos]

  And all of the companies that use Chinese forced labor say "We are aware of the conditions and are working on ways to improve them".
  BULLSHIT!!!  First of all, a product like Nike tennis shoes that sells from $75 to $200 in the U.S. and made for less than $10.00 in China should be a good sign that things aren't quite right, but yet they keep on selling them.  They've known this for years and years, but yet they are still made in China by forced labor.  They don't give a shit, their bottom line is $$$$, to hell with everything and everyone else, including human rights, or lack thereof.
  If they REALLY want to put a stop to this crap, move the factories back to the U.S. and take a little less profit.  You know the Chinese government isn't going to allow us to do inspections, at least not surprise inspections.  And if they did allow scheduled inspections, they would make everything really nice only for those inspection days.  Payroll records are just too easy to spoof, just keep two sets of records, one for the inspectors and one for the real slave labor records.  The only way they will EVER put a stop to this is to move the factories back to the U.S. where they know they can't get away with it.
  But we all know this will continue as long as people keep buying their products.....

+1
let's face it - we are the consumer - with the influence
It can unfortunately be hard to find information, but if people express an interest and follow up on any info that is out there, things will get better.

I know I've avoided and supported products depending on their reputation with regard to their factories. I presume it would have been better if I let the relevant companies know this, but I'm afraid I'm not that motivated...

One concrete example (unfortunately it's a bit dated; and the PDF is only a summary with few relevant details, and it's in German): there's a PDF link on this page to a review of 19 running shoes (2009) here (stiftungwarentest.de).
results were:
Adidas, Reebok, New Balance all come out well.
Nike, Brooks, Asics - all refused to give any info - draw your own conclusions (I did).

I've read that Nike have done some related PR work since then - as to whether they've improved in any way, I have no idea.

[Carol Haynes]

+1
let's face it - we are the consumer - with the influence
It can unfortunately be hard to find information, but if people express an interest and follow up on any info that is out there, things will get better.

I know I've avoided and supported products depending on their reputation with regard to their factories.

Let's face it anyone reading this (including me) is probably using at least one component (probably a lot more) that is a product of a Chinese (or other Far Eastern) sweatshop in the computer(s), phone(s) or tablet(s) they use.

[tomos]

Let's face it anyone reading this (including me) is probably using at least one component (probably a lot more) that is a product of a Chinese (or other Far Eastern) sweatshop in the computer(s), phone(s) or tablet(s) they use.

True. Definitely a lot more than one - me included. I was looking at the cleaning instructions for my newish winter coat today - made in China - conditions: no idea of course.

My point still stands - most people shrug and think along the lines what can I do (nothing...). 'Not much' is truer as it happens, but I still do what I can. That's mainly in the direction of food & drink where it's more possible e.g. it's relatively easy around here to get fair trade tea and coffee. The fair trade market is mostly a luxury niche market, used by many to think oh I've done my good for today and used by supermarkets to give a good image - look we've got two products where we guarantee that people are given a fair wage - with the rest it's pot-luck. I'm not convinced the fair trade mark and approach is the way to go. All of which bothers me -but I still buy it if I can, and if I can afford it of course.

[Tinman57]

+1
let's face it - we are the consumer - with the influence
It can unfortunately be hard to find information, but if people express an interest and follow up on any info that is out there, things will get better.

I know I've avoided and supported products depending on their reputation with regard to their factories.

Let's face it anyone reading this (including me) is probably using at least one component (probably a lot more) that is a product of a Chinese (or other Far Eastern) sweatshop in the computer(s), phone(s) or tablet(s) they use.

  Whevever possible, I buy "Made in the USA"  products.  Unfortunately it's getting harder and harder to do.  If the government is so up on making new jobs, why in the hell don't they bring our overseas jobs back to the states?  They say we can't compete, that's BS.  If we had a "fair" trade, we would tax the hell out of the Chinese made products just the same way they do to our products.

[Carol Haynes]

If we had a "fair" trade, we would tax the hell out of the Chinese made products just the same way they do to our products.

WTO = Free Trade = The right of US and EU companies to exploit poor b*****s in the Far East.

Fair trade will me $90 a week for US workers - likely to happen? Probably at some point.