...work2012-3-31, Guest Today women and men from UK Feminista took to the high street to protest against the exploitation uncovered in factories supplying Nike. The actions, taking place outside Nike stores in London and Glasgow, will see campaigners “cheat” their way through a series of races and hold a medal ceremony where Nike will be awarded the title of “biggest cheat”. The demonstrations are a response to new reasearch(pdf) published by War on Want which has uncovered the systematic violations of workers’ rights in Bangladeshi factories supplying garments for Nike, Puma and Adidas. Their findings, while depressingly familiar, are still shocking: all factories visited were illegally employing staff for more than 60 hours a week, and five of the six failed to pay the legal minimal wage. But UK Feminista's protest demands that we rethink Nike’s exploitative practices as an explicitly feminist issue. Eighty five per cent of Bangladesh’s garment workers are women, and as such they experience distinct rights abuses as factory workers; 1 in 10 women workers are threatened with being made to undress, with 1 in 10 workers experiencing other sexual harassment. Many are refused maternity rights or simply fired when discovered to be pregnant, an indication of the profound disregard by firms like Nike for women’s reproductive labour. These statistics are enough to send any feminist out onto the street in protest. But an interrogation of the reasons why these low paid jobs are consistently...
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...designs and markets its products, while contracting for their manufacture from a global network of 600 factories scattered around the globe that employ some 650,000 people.1 This huge corporation has made Knight into one of the richest people in America. Nike’s marketing phrase, “Just Do It!” has become as recognizable in popular culture as its “swoosh” logo or the faces of its celebrity sponsors, such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. For all of its successes, the company was dogged for more than a decade by repeated and persistent accusations that its products were made in “sweatshops” where workers, many of them children, slaved away in hazardous conditions for below-subsistence wages. Nike’s wealth, its detractors claimed, was built upon the backs of the world’s poor. For many, Nike had become a symbol of the evils of globalization—a rich Western corporation exploiting the world’s poor to provide expensive shoes and apparel to the pampered consumers of the developed world. Niketown stores became standard targets for antiglobalization protesters. Several nongovernmental organizations, such as San Francisco-based Global Exchange, a human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political, and social justice around the world, targeted Nike for repeated criticism and protests.2 News shows such as CBS-TV’s 48 Hours ran exposés on working conditions in foreign factories that supply Nike. Students on the campuses of several...
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...wages, and outsourcing’s effect on sales. Because of this, most widely known companies have presented various cases to defend their positions on conducting business in the foreign country. One such example is a Nike sweatshop labor case that stirred up a large amount of controversy over ethical business practices. Even though Nike has attempted to recover from the bad press it received about the sweatshops, it still struggles to defeat the negative feelings from people across the United States. Thus, a summary of the case, the legal, cultural and ethical challenges, an understanding of the roles the host governments play, and the strategic and operational challenges faced are important to gain a thorough understanding of the issues and case. Most people could easily define Nike and are familiar with the products offered, like the customized options available in the Nike store online, Nike Sportswear, Nike Women, Nike Basketball, and Nike Football. These products, among others, have led Nike to a profit of $15 billion in 2006 and a catchy “Just Do It!” slogan (Hill, 2009). The company outsourced its manufacturing plants to several countries in order to lessen costs and become more efficient in productivity. The outrage and protests that followed were far from what Nike expected; the company was labeled as forcing “children to slave away in hazardous conditions for below-subsistence wages” (Hill, 2009). As a result, protestors of globalization and human rights activists criticized...
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...issues are those of human rights and conditions for workers in factories in developing countries. In the face of constant accusations, Nike has developed a considered response but the criticism of Nike still continues. Nike produces footwear, clothing, equipment and accessory products for the sports and athletic market. It is the largest seller of such garments in the world. It sells to approximately 19,000 retail accounts in the US, and then in approximately 140 countries around the world. Just about all of its products are manufactured by independent contractors with footwear products in particular being manufactured in developing countries. The company manufactures in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Mexico as well as in the US and in Italy. The Global Alliance report on the factories in Indonesia gave the following workforce profile: 58% of them are young adults between 20 and 24 years old, and 83% are women. Few have work-related skills when they arrive at the factory. Nike has around 700 contract factories, within which around 20% of the workers are creating Nike products. Conditions for these workers have been a source of heated debate, with allegations made by campaigns of poor conditions, with harassment and abuse. Nike has sought to respond to these allegations by putting into place a code of conduct for all of its suppliers, and working with the Global Alliance to review around 21 of these factories, and to pick up and respond to issues. The main concerns expressed by workers...
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...It was near closing time in the Asch Building on March 25, 1911 when the flames began. Within 18 minutes 146 people were dead. The fourth largest industrial disaster in United States history, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is remembered today as a tragic incident not only because of all the deaths but because of the fact that they were preventable. The death of 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, would have been preventable if the owners had followed regulatory precautions to ensure that their workers had accessible exit paths and a set plan of action in case of such incidents. From this horrendous inferno arose public outcry for justice and worker safety reform that led to the transformation of the labor code of New York and...
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...contracts out (outsources) its manufacturing to some 600 factories worldwide, employing over half a million people. For over a decade, Nike has been dogged by bad publicity and persistent accusations that that its products are made in “sweatshops” where workers, many of them children, slave away in hazardous conditions for below subsistence wages. Nike’s wealth, its detractors claim, has been built on the backs of the world’s poor. To many, Nike is a symbol of the evils of globalisation. Nike has taken many steps to remedy the situation but admits there are still problems in overseas factories, despite laying down minimum standards of working conditions and pay, and having their standards independently audited. But the accusations, protests and bad press continue. The Case against Nike: In 1996 a CBS 48 Hours news reported from a factory near Ho Chi Min City (formerly Saigon, Vietnam) … The signs are everywhere of an American invasion in search of cheap labour. Millions of people who are literate, disciplined, are desperate for jobs. This is Niketown near what used to be called Saigon, one of 4 factories Nike doesn’t own but subcontracts to make a million shoes per month. It takes 25,000 workers, mostly young women, to “Just Do It”. But the workers here don’t share in Nike’s huge profits. They work 6 days a week for only $40 a month, just $0.20 an hour. After interviewing a young woman at the factory, the reporter continued … Her basic wage,...
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...died and 1/3 of world pop lived in shadow of communism due to the idealistic dream that turned into nightmare, the Socialism experiment. Port of St. Petersburg was an island built to protect Russian from a sea. It is an active navel base. In February 1917 Russia reached its peek. Stock of bread were being rationed. People waited over night but to be given part of a loaf of bread. On February 23 the people crowed onto the streets and protested the lack of bread. The women began their protest first. Afterwards they threw snowballs at the factories where men worked where they soon joined the women in their protest again the lack of break. 100 thousand people went on strike. After the next two days the protest grew larger and larger but on February 25th the soldiers came in to put a stop to the protest. These soldiers were called Cossacks, they were soldiers who were very loyal to the Tsar, they were ordered to shoot protesters if the did not disperse. 50 laid dead but the Tsar failed to end the protest and the protesters carried banners that now read "Freedom or Death." Soon the soldiers grew angry, they exclaim that their family too was in need of food and if they should kill them too? Afterwards a mutiny started. Also, the Navy was at the forefront of technology. The sailors were highly disciplined and some were even veterans who failed at Rebellion Revolutions. The first of March sailors had a meeting and revolted. They killed or imprisoned all captains who treated them badly...
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...What were the causes of the 1905 Revolution? Why did the Revolution fail to overthrow the Tsarist Regime? The Revolution of 1905 was the first time the Tsar had faced open opposition from so many groups in Russian society at the same time. It involved peasant disturbances, strikes, naval mutinies, nationalist uprisings and assassinations. This essay aims to examine the different causes of the Revolution of 1905. Short and long-term causes will be considered, and economic, political, military and social factors will be discussed. The essay will also explain why the Revolution ultimately failed to overthrow the Tsarist regime. A long-term social and economic cause of the 1905 Revolution was the continuing dissatisfaction of both peasants and landowners to the Emancipation Edict of 1861. Although this piece of legislation had brought an end to serfdom, peasants still remained tied to the village commune (mir) and were angry at the redemption payments they were expected to pay in return for the land they had received. They believed more, and better quality, land should have been given to them at no cost. Their anger was made evident during the peasant disturbances of 1902. The landowners were also unhappy with the terms of emancipation. They lost the free labour of their serfs and a large amount of land. As a result many were facing huge debts by 1905. Another long-term cause of the 1905 Revolution was the general disappointment with which many Russian people viewed the...
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...Fashion factory in the Ashulia district on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh.[3] At least 117 people were confirmed dead in the fire, and over 200 were injured,[4] making it the deadliest factory fire in the nation's history.[5] The fire was initially presumed to be caused by an electrical short circuit, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has since suspected that the fire had been arson and an act of "sabotage" due to the occurrence of previous comparable events. This event and others similar to it have led to numerous reforms in workers' rights and safety laws in Bangladesh. Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Fire 3 Response 4 Revised Regulations 5 Related occurrence 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Background[edit] When it opened in 2009 the Tazreen Fashion factory employed 1,630 workers and produced T-shirts, polo shirts and jackets for various companies and organizations.[6] These included the US Marines,[7][8] the Dutch company C&A, the American company Walmart and the Hong Kong based company Li & Fung.[6][9] The factory is part of The Tuba group which is a major exporter of garments from Bangladesh into the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, whose major clients include Walmart, Carrefour and IKEA.[10] According to Tazreen Fashions' web site, the factory was flagged in May 2011 with an "orange" grade by a Walmart ethical sourcing official for "violations and/or conditions which were deemed to be high risk". The notice said that any factory receiving...
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...Casestudy: IKEA FAMILY: OLD ENOUGH TO WORK? Socialist Party (SP) versus IKEA At the end of 1998, furniture giant Ikea became the target of protest campaigns throughout Europe. The campaign in the Netherlands was led by the political Socialist Party (SP) and a number of NGOs. The actions against and pressure on Ikea were prompted by a television documentary on working conditions at Indian factories that manufactured clothing, chairs and rugs for Ikea which made allegations of child labour and unsafe working conditions. The SP and other societal organisations demanded that Ikea adopt, comply with and monitor a code which addresses child labour and unacceptable working conditions at the factories of suppliers. Societal Interface Management Challenges PUBLIC - PRIVATE PROFIT NON-PROFIT Is the eradication of Unlisted company child labour the and business responsibility of the community Indian government? involvement: consumers and/or Observing international suppliers? conventions (ILO) and cooperating with Family atmosphere organisations? in a family business? Quality mark/not? Inadequate regulations in host countries? EFFICIENCY Affordable furniture for consumers at lower end of market High margins on goods purchased from suppliers Owns most of the franchises ETHICS/EQUITY Working conditions (child labour and hazardous substances) Education and training policy of company? Low prices at all costs? The issue of cultural relativism/universalism . Would you find it acceptable...
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...A revolution is a radical change of an established government, political system, or social structure often accompanied by violence. Imperialism is the policy of extending the rule of an empire or nation over other countries or acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies. Both of these concepts were key during the Cuban revolution held in the XXth century. The Cuban revolution was an armed revolt led by Fidel Castro’s 26th of july movement and allies against the authoritarian government of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista. The revolution started in 1953 and lasted 5 years and a half until 1959 when the rebels finally ousted Batista, however the causes to it weren’t just short term but also long term ones. The purpose of this essay is to analyze both of this types of causes which led together to start the revolution. The long term causes started with the Cuban ten years war also known as the great war in 1868 to 1878. This war was part of Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain due to that it was the first of 3 wars between the 2 countries. In October 10 1868 sugar mill owner, Carlos Manuel Cespedes and his followers proclaimed independence beginning the conflict. The Cuban people demanded 4 main things to the Spanish parliament: Tariff reform, Cuban representation in parliament, judicial equality with Spaniards and full enforcement of a slave trade ban, however the Spanish government denied all of this demands which caused discontent among Cubans and ended in a conflict...
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...life. Christianity was the basis of decision making in politics and society. Governments often ruled over their subjects, with the notion that they had approval from God and would therefore be granted his mercy for slaughtering innocent individuals, whether it was through crusades or witch hunts. At the time of the seventeenth century, kings and queens final decisions ruled which branch of Christianity to follow; with the constant upheaval in rulers, and exile towards Protestants during the Catholic era and Calvinists during the Church of England era, radical religious ideals began to form resulting in a revolution. During this time period, certain individuals went against what the government and church said were true of God, and formed their own opinions of what God truly wanted. These radical actions, which went against the church and government, resulted in the earliest ideas of separation of state, anti-slavery, and gender equality. Anne Hutchinson, the Germantown...
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...Case Study – Coke in India Adapted by Lesley Fleischman from: Hills, Jonathan and Welford, Richard. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 12, 168–177 (2005) August 2003 • • • • • October 2003 • • Coke has 44 wholly owned and franchise owned bottling plants in India Indian NGO finds that Coke and Pepsi products bottled in India contain pesticides. Immediate impact on Coke stock price. Coke threatened legal action over allegations. Indian government tests confirm findings. Coke hires PR firm, develops strategy to deflect media attention away Escalating community protests at bottling plants, demonstrations, hunger strikes, etc. December 2003 February 2004 March 2004 • • • • • • • • June 2004 • • • September 2004 • • October 2004 • • • February 2005 • • April 2005 • • May 2005 • • Ordered by Indian court to stop drawing groundwater for its bottling plant in Plachimada, Kerala Judge ruled that no power to allow a private party to extract such a huge quantity of groundwater Protesters claim that Coke water use was reducing agricultural yields Coke cited lack of rainfall, not their operations, as cause of crop declines Parliamentary committee finds high amounts of pesticide residue in Coke and Pepsi products bottled in India Not illegal, Indian safety standards weak Coke application for new bottling plant in Plachimada denied by local authorities because...
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...Labor unrest in the RMG sector–reasons and remedies October 7, 2010 The prevailing worsening situation in readymade garment (RMG) sector is not good for country’s feeble economy. RMG sector accounts for 76% of our total annual foreign exchange earnings. Once, Jute was the only foreign exchange earning item. But the golden age of Jute is now over. At present, the RMG is our only dependable export item. The textile sector has emerged as a backward sector to this RMG sector. Spinning, weaving, Knitting; dying, finishing etc have emerged as a backward linkage industry. These areas of the of the textile sector are contributing to the economy of the country. So, if the RMG sector suffers any crisis, the repercussion will be felt everywhere in the rickety economy. Now, there are 350 spinning mills operating in the country, which is catering to the demand of the RMG sector and thus saving huge amount of foreign exchange. At present, the capacity of the spinning mills is 1.6 billion meters. There are 180 dying-finishing mills in the country with a capacity of 120 million meters per year. The production capacity of the knitting mills is 41 billion meters. What is important here is that they are capable of meeting local demand. The total workforce engaged in this sector is about 2.5 million, of which 60 percent is women. The total production is being exported to foreign countries. The reasons and the remedies of the present crisis: All of a sudden, labor unrest has increased in our country...
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...united thousands of mistreated women to stand together in protest of one of the greatest industries of that time, the shirtwaist business. That woman was Clara Lemlich and she was only 23 years old when she initiated the strike. She and her supporters protested for over two months on the streets of New York, until certain textile-manufacturing factories finally agreed to fairer income and decent hours for the employees. However, this wasn’t entirely a success as many companies refused to agree to the terms, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. As a result, a year later, 146 workers employed at the Factory perished in a tragic fire due to a lack of safety preparation, including...
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