Modern Day Slave Labor

[Dizzie]

I know it is hard to not buy items made in China, especially considering the fact that we collect virtual pets and all. Though I'd like to remind you all, where many of these items come from and that the people being forced into slave labor should not be faceless.

These are letters from people trapped in Labor camps, being forced to work 15 hour days for as little as $1.50 a month.

https://imgur.com/gallery/yH44C - News Article

This letter was hidden in a box of Halloween decorations, the person knew some english and wrote it the best they could. The person remarked that most of the laborers in the camp were practicers of Falun Gong (A banned religious group in china) and good people that should not be there. The box of decorations was purchased at Kmart in 2011 and just recently opened.

https://imgur.com/gallery/exoGK

This letter was found scrawled in chinese on a pack of paper toilet covers.

So when shopping, try your best to avoid items made in china if you can.

 

[Nyaasu]

This is very sad to hear, although sadly, I can believe it.

I have heard about similar things from people I know who have gone to China, specifically in areas full of manufacturing plants (I used to work at a company that designed plush toys which were made in China).

However, I don't know if avoiding items made in China is the real solution - I think something more drastic would be in order, something like petitions. Petitions seem weak against things like this, but they can actually achieve a lot, especially now that we can spread knowledge so quickly through the internet.

I searched for an existing petition, but did not find one. Are there any updates on this story?

 

[Dizzie]

This is very sad to hear, although sadly, I can believe it.

I have heard about similar things from people I know who have gone to China, specifically in areas full of manufacturing plants (I used to work at a company that designed plush toys which were made in China).

However, I don't know if avoiding items made in China is the real solution - I think something more drastic would be in order, something like petitions. Petitions seem weak against things like this, but they can actually achieve a lot, especially now that we can spread knowledge so quickly through the internet.

I searched for an existing petition, but did not find one. Are there any updates on this story?

There was just the companies 'looking into it' then nothing else. Really petitions are nothing if you support this act by buying things made with slave labor, because the public as a whole tends to forget things so easily, the best way to make an impression is to avoid shopping at stores that use slave labor, and to avoid products that have been produced through slave labor.

Opt for buying American (or what ever country you're in) made and you support bringing more jobs back to the US, and cut out the support for slave labor.

 

[violetvioletchi]

There's an interesting quote that I find relevant- by Neil Kearney, general secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation "There's no such thing as cheap clothing. If you're not paying the price for the clothes you're buying, you can be sure that someone, somewhere is paying it instead." There are some groups that try to fight sweatshop labor, but unfortunately international law only states that companies have to follow the laws of the countries they are manufacturing in. This means that if a country manufactures in Bangladesh, for example, they only have to pay the Bangladesh expected/minimum wage.

Some ways to address the problem include joining organizations committed to changing laws and holding companies accountable as well as buying local, (items made in your country) or handmade items.

 

[Midorime]

I found a TED video on the Chinese workers here: https://www.ted.com/talks/leslie_t_chang_the_voices_of_china_s_workers.html

 

[Minecraft Addict]

I know it is hard to not buy items made in China, especially considering the fact that we collect virtual pets and all. Though I'd like to remind you all, where many of these items come from and that the people being forced into slave labor should not be faceless.

These are letters from people trapped in Labor camps, being forced to work 15 hour days for as little as $1.50 a month.

https://imgur.com/gallery/yH44C - News Article

This letter was hidden in a box of Halloween decorations, the person knew some english and wrote it the best they could. The person remarked that most of the laborers in the camp were practicers of Falun Gong (A banned religious group in china) and good people that should not be there. The box of decorations was purchased at Kmart in 2011 and just recently opened.

https://imgur.com/gallery/exoGK

This letter was found scrawled in chinese on a pack of paper toilet covers.

So when shopping, try your best to avoid items made in china if you can.

Wow... just... wow... I honestly am not sure what to say. It's amazing. I know China as a Communist government and some pretty bad stuff happens, but proof like this is amazing. That's all that can come to mind of what I just read...

 

[Midorime]

Here's a site where you can plug in a company and see how well they're rated when it comes to worker's rights, political impact, etc: https://knowmore.org/

 

[violetvioletchi]

Fabulous! Thanks for the link!