1. Sweatshops: What do they mean for “fashion?

2. What are sweatshops? Sweatshops are processing zones, usually in third world countries, where workers sew garments in stuffy, hot and unsafe conditions. Workers are usually women and children who are exposed to extreme exploitation. Human rights are always not recognized and not practiced. These human rights violations serve as the distinction of sweatshops from factories.

3. Where are sweatshops? It is present in almost every poor country, usually in the third world. The poorer a country is, the more exploitable its people are. There are also sweatshops in developed countries using illegal immigrants’ labor. What companies are involved?

4. How can you tell where your shirt was made? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/04/25/f- bangladesh-clothing-consumer-awareness.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/04/25/f- bangladesh-clothing-consumer-awareness.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/04/26/f-vp- don-pittis-consumer-bangladesh.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/04/26/f-vp- don-pittis-consumer-bangladesh.html

5. What are the violations? Use of child labor Paying of workers under the minimum wage or non-payment at all Non-payment for forced overtime work Unsafe and horrible working conditions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVuScVCF1Ws No benefits given Sexual harassment Verbal abuse Illegal firings No forming of unions Physical abuse

6. Women and sweatshops 90% of all sweatshop workers are women. Uneducated women are usually hired as workers for sweatshops. They are not given maternity leave. They are forced to yield to abortion and to use birth control. Some are sexually harassed.

7. How does this happen? Some governments are aware, but they fail to stop them or tolerate them because of the economic potential of sweatshops. Large corporations almost always use contract manufacturing firms to produce their goods. Corporate greed because of globalization International trade policies favorable for multi-national companies Workers being unaware of their rights.

9. How to fix it? Developing a strategy to improveconditions… agents had different competencies andattitudes to change very little discussion between theprocurement department at the factoryand the HR team. Contracts had been negotiated on pricewith very little regard for the needs of the agency labourers.

10. Videos http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16104664 http://www.cbc.ca/player/?/News/World/ID/2382189265/ http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bangladesh+clothing+ industry+news+cbc&view=detail&mid=4635A49C05BF1A72ED 2D4635A49C05BF1A72ED2D&first=0&FORM=NVPFVR http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bangladesh+clothing+ industry+news+cbc&view=detail&mid=4635A49C05BF1A72ED 2D4635A49C05BF1A72ED2D&first=0&FORM=NVPFVR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhuGX-lxzU http://www.cbc.ca/player/?/News/Canada/Montreal/ID/2382 153617/ http://www.cbc.ca/player/?/News/Canada/Montreal/ID/2382 153617/

11. Articles to read: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Bangladesh+disaster +responses+highlight+strategies+clothing/8343411/story.html http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Bangladesh+disaster +responses+highlight+strategies+clothing/8343411/story.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener- waterloo/story/2013/04/28/bangladesh-building- collapse.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener- waterloo/story/2013/04/28/bangladesh-building- collapse.html

12. Additional info: http://www.powershow.com/view/17415- NWE1M/Life_in_Sweatshops_powerpoint_ppt_presentation http://www.powershow.com/view/17415- NWE1M/Life_in_Sweatshops_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

19. For specific countries and solutions based through international information: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6945706/Sweatshop