Sweatshops

Is The Sweatshop Concept Adopted by the U.S. Manufacturers Overseas Ethical?

NO

Economists believe that sweatshops overseas must continue to enhance the preference satisfaction of the most people possible, by allowing;

* Higher wages for workers

* Lower Prices For Consumers

* Lower cost of labor for MNC’s

BUT

Within sweatshops, basic worker rights for a free market are not upheld which takes away the possible benefits a free market can bring. These rights violated may include;

- Open communication about job description between employee and employer

- Workers may not be forced to work against their knowledge or free will

- Workers must be able to make rational decisions about their self interest

Argument #1

Workers may take sweatshop jobs because they do not have any other options to find a secure income, they may not have the knowledge or have not been informed on other job availabilities or opportunities, or the constricting labor agreements that evolve over the duration of the worker’s employment may make it difficult to leave job.

- Just because a sweatshop worker agrees to labor in these poor conditions, it does not mean that this complies with the free market rights of a worker.

Argument #2

Sweatshop work does not have all of the benefits to a free market that it is said to have on those affected.

- Skills developed in sweatshop work have little to no economic or social benefit

- Social costs to the worker are not covered by wages

- Social disruption because of the move from agricultural industries to factory work

-Worker goes from integral part of a family-based job to just a corporate statistic.

-Population boom in urban centers creates sanitation hazards and housing problems.

Conclusion

Benefits that are said to come from sweat shop work are only proven by way of numbers. Morality and workers’ rights extend much further than a higher turnover rate. Sweatshops take away basic human rights and take...