Trading goods and jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trading goods and jobs - Essay Example Sweatshops are working environments with unhygienic inhumane conditions that are often viewed by most people in industrialised nations to be difficult and unsafe. The employees do not have much say in how the business is managed and how they are treated by their bosses. This can include extreme high temperatures, abuse from the employers, dangerous situations and exposure to harmful materials (Gordon, 65). The workers are normally required to work for such long hours without a break in between. Sweatshops are often associated with developing countries, although they may still exist in any country. The problem does not only stop with the working environment but there is also the problem of the low wages associated with sweatshops. In most countries with sweatshops, the employees are paid lower than the minimum wage that has been set by the government. Expecting someone to live on these low salaries is almost impossible. Majority of the employees spend more than they make, which implies that they go to bed hungry most of the time. In addition, the low wages are not enough to pay for their basic needs; it cannot take care of their families, school, rent and medical bills (Gordon, 70). Due to this, most of these people are forced to include the whole family in the work. The other major problem with sweatshops is child labour. For decades, people have been fighting against this although not much has changed. However, people still need to earn a living, even if it means that children are also involved in the work. Most families in the sweatshops are from poor families and are amenable to do whatever it takes to earn income. The employers, on the other hand, have no problem with this because child labour to them means cheap labour. Sweatshops usually involve low levels of technology and produce a variety of goods at once. This implies that it is cost saving for