Some examples of sweatshops in action |
WHAT IS A SWEATSHOP?
A sweatshop is defined as a workplace that has socially unacceptable work conditions, and more often than not, these conditions include very little payment per hour or per day- now this doesn't mean Australian minimum wage of around $7-$8 for adolescents and around $20 for adults, no we are talking as low as 0.14 Australian cents per hour. They usually work in small, humid enclosed spaces for hours and hours on end, only allowed to go to the toilet once, wash themselves once- only if they are lucky, and physical, verbal and sexual abuse very common in this workplace situation. In addition to all this, there is also child labour occurring. |
USES of sweatshops
Sweatshops are used by many companies and brands ranging from fast fashion brands (cheap clothing shops) to designer brands. Brands are able to make a sizable profit from using sweatshops as most sweatshops are placed in third world countries such as Bangladesh, Taiwan and Thailand in addition to china where the worker's rights either don't exist or aren't followed which means the workers can work for hours on end with no breaks leading to quicker production of the products and at a much cheaper price. Therefore the brands are able to make a remarkable mark up on the wholesale price.
Sweatshops are the reason that fast fashion is able to exist. Without sweatshops, the workers would be demanding that their worker's rights be upheld and therefore less products we be able to be manufactured over a longer period of time than if they were produced in sweatshops and the cost of manufacturing the products would be more expensive which would make the actual product when sold to consumers more expensive and abolishing the idea of fast fashion.
Sweatshops are the reason that fast fashion is able to exist. Without sweatshops, the workers would be demanding that their worker's rights be upheld and therefore less products we be able to be manufactured over a longer period of time than if they were produced in sweatshops and the cost of manufacturing the products would be more expensive which would make the actual product when sold to consumers more expensive and abolishing the idea of fast fashion.