Individual White Paper:
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debate_5_no.pptxAre businesses ethically responsible to assure fair labor practices throughout their supply chains?
Yes !!!!
All business syndicates should apparently take part in ensuring that the entail a significant form of fair labor practices throughout their supply chain.
Ensuring that maintain an environment delineated by free labor practices would affably benefit the corporation as a whole.
Moreover, applying supply chain ethic such as fair labor practices will significantly benefit the subsidiary in various. Some of the benefits entailed by fair labor practices include increased work efficiency, easy manageability of workers and increased productivity.
Should Businesses Entail Fair Labor Practices
ADVANTAGES OF FAIR LABOUR
Apparently, maintaining a fair labor all through the production and distribution processes would affably ensure that a sense of efficiency from the workers dominate the workplace.
Therefore, entailing a business environment dominated by the sense of fair labor would affably enhance the staff’s morale.
The increased morale would moreover increase productivity at work through the efficiency created.
We all Love Diamonds but at what Cost?
Child Labor in the Diamond Industry
Children are the ones working in the diamond industry.
Businesses claim children are the best persons to do the job, because they have steady hands and good eyesight.
Children should be in school not working at such an early age.
Persons may claim it’s a good trade for the future, but at what cost ?
The Indian government encourage child labor, because 80% of the country’s exports come from this industry.
Low income families work for these companies.
Low wages and easy availability of labor are factors contributing to the profit of this industry.
Apple Products
Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results
According to apple newsroom “ Cupertino, California — Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2016. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $46.9 billion and quarterly net income of $9 billion, or $1.67 per diluted share.”
Apple Sweatshop
If Apple is making so much money, why do they have so many employees committing and attempting suicide?
According to the Rob Cooper of the Dailymail, 18 employees killed themselves inside the factory in Shenzhen . Employees are paid £1.12 per hour.
It is believed these employees who attempted and committed suicide did so because of terrible working conditions and because of the horrible pay.
Foxconn takes advantages of employees because they know employees are easily replaceable.
Employees should not feel like they are robots.
Nike Sweatshops
Vietnam, Indonesia and China offer Nike cheap labor
Small sum of money for employees
Long hours in inhumane conditions
Indonesia - Only 40 factories with 171,276 workers
US has 66 factories with 8,151 workers
Stories have surfaced about the brutality of Nike toward its employees
Beaten with shoes
Mutilated with machetes
“Sun drenching” - leaving “slow” employees in the hot sun for hours
REAL COST OF NIKE PRODUCTS
A difference can be made
There are many companies who produce quality products without treating their employees poorly and in an inhumane fashion
Everlane has 18 factories around the world and produce beautiful outfits at reasonable cost. They pride themselves on treating employees fairly.
Source: Everlane website
Another company practicing ethical manufacturing is New Balance. They produce over 4 million shoes in the United States without the need for sweatshops. Employees are paid above minimum wage. New Balance has 5 facilities in Maine and Massachusetts where it produces its shoes domestically
Source: Sunjournal.com
What Can Be Done : Tips for Companies
Engage and understand consumers
⅔ of consumers are willing to pay more for goods produced responsibly
Listen to workers and respect unions
respecting freedom of association and collective bargaining rights
companies can help ensure that they are eliminating abusive labor
Meaningful grievance mechanisms
Allow employees to voice opinions without fear of retaliation through:
Supervisors
Trade unions
Management
Directly through company hotlines
Laws (Should) Protect Employees
In the United States: Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping and youth employment standards.
In the International Community: the International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations, supervises labor standards and implementation in the countries that ratify ILO conventions.
There are 187 member states of the ILO. Many of these member states still have unethical and unfair labor practices going on in their country.
Protecting Workers’ Rights WorldWide
“The products we buy should not come at the cost of workers’ rights”
The FLA is a collaborative effort of socially responsible companies, colleges, universities, and civil society organizations.
Since 1999 they have helped improved the lives of millions of workers.
http://www.fairlabor.org/
yuki
How?
http://www.fairlabor.org/our-work
Set Standards: FLA Code of Conduct is based on International Labor Organization standards and internationally accepted good labor practices.
Monitor & Report: FLA Monitoring holds companies responsible by performing investigations and assessments. Public reporting ensures transparency and informs consumers.
Support Compliance: FLA provides training and resources to help companies and factories meet standards, ensure compliance and improve conditions.
Affiliated Companies
yuki
Thank You
Group Members
Curlea Glasgow
Xiao Liu
Bret Abramowitz
Yuki Schaper
References
Reese , Ashley . "12 Ethical And Sweatshop-Free Brands That You’ll Actually Want To Rock." N.p., 28 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.gurl.com/2016/02/28/ethical-and-sweatshop-free-clothing-brands/>.
"Child Slave Labor in India’s Diamond Industry." N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.phpid61>.
Phukan, Rumani S. "Child Labour in Diamond Industry Continues in India Despite Abolition." MapsofIndia.com. N.p., 8 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/government/child-labour-in-diamond-industry-in-india-it-will-continue-why >.
Huguet, Kristin . "Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results ." Newsroom. N.p., 25 Oct. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/10/apple-reports-fourth-quarter-results.html> .
Cooper, Rob. "Inside Apple's Chinese "Sweatshop" where workers are paid just £1.12 per hour to Produce IPhones and IPads for the West ." Daily Mail. N.p., 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103798/Revealed-Inside-Apples-Chinese-sweatshop-factory-workers-paid-just-1-12-hour.html>.
Guthrie, Doug. "Building Sustainable and Ethical Supply Chains." Forbes. N.p., 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougguthrie/2012/03/09/building-sustainable-and-ethical-supply-chains/#37518f384179>.
Diamond Image , <https://internationalhardasset.com/where-are-colored-diamond-prices-heading-in-2016-2/ >
Nike Image , < https://awestruckwanderer.wordpress.com/tag/nikes-sweatshops/>.
Reference Continuation
Hase, Grace. "Column: Nike Deserves Reprimand for Inhumane Working Conditions." Latest Articles RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Filed in International Labor By U.S. Department of Labor on June 10, 2016. "7 Things Companies Can Do to Fight Child Labor." 7 Things Companies Can Do to Fight Child Labor | U.S. Department of Labor Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Fair Labor Association www.fairlabor.org
