Should Child labour be tolerated in third world nations?

[Alyrium Denryle]

Haven't GM, Chrysler, and Ford Motor all collapsed precisely because of the massive burden of generous pension plans?

What a glorious strawman.

Furthermore, even if one mandates that sweatshop labor be paid a living wage, which would represent only a meager fraction of the cost of employee compensation in the United States, who will audit and enforce these standards in foreign countries where the rule of law is rarely concretized?

Simple: Western nations simply kill demand for the goods by banning the importation of goods produced in that manner. The companies in question will still be able to produce goods there at a profit over US or Europe made goods, but will still have to provide for the basic needs of workers. Factories would need to be audited. Get permission for that by getting it from the local government. Dont give permission? No more trade.

[Axis Kast]

What a glorious strawman.

Our society has a very hard time with the concept of "living wage," even by our own standards. If the auto giants aren't a satisfactory example, ask yourself how many immigrants in this country make ends meet: by living with extended families in what are ordinarily considered unsafe, overcrowded conditions, and working excessively long hours in low-paying jobs with few or no benefits.

Simple: Western nations simply kill demand for the goods by banning the importation of goods produced in that manner. The companies in question will still be able to produce goods there at a profit over US or Europe made goods, but will still have to provide for the basic needs of workers. Factories would need to be audited. Get permission for that by getting it from the local government. Dont give permission? No more trade.

Who is going to ensure that all Western nations act in tandem? That's the central problem of your theory, for if one firm cuts back and others do not, that firm will be undersold, and gradually forced out of the marketplace, even if it can offer a product with a superior human rights record attached. Some profit or "only slightly less" profit may still be a serious problem.

Who will train the auditors? How will you achieve oversight? What local government is going to give permission? Why should they be intimidated by a harebrained policy that will gain no political traction?

[D.Turtle]

Who is going to ensure that all Western nations act in tandem? That's the central problem of your theory, for if one firm cuts back and others do not, that firm will be undersold, and gradually forced out of the marketplace, even if it can offer a product with a superior human rights record attached. Some profit or "only slightly less" profit may still be a serious problem.

Large entities such as the US or the EU could implement a policy of massive tolls or outright bans of products produced in such a manner - their market is big enough that it would affect companies making those products. They are large enough that companies would be willing to go the extra mile in order to sell those products in those markets. You don't need unanimous decisions, you only need enough that it is worthwhile to abide by that decision.

Hell, even now there are companies and stores that cater specifically to people who care about fair trade and similar stuff. Slap companies who engage in child slavery and the use of sweat shops with a huge toll fee, or ban their products entirely, and you would see an even larger effect. The reason third world sweat shops and child slavery are so successful, is because western governments allow them to be successful.

[Korgeta]

If such practises like child labour continue to be ignored in third world countries it will always remain a exploited practise, it has nothing to do with culture, more that companies (particularly sports companies) exploit cheap labour via sweatshops. However industrialised work places are considerably more safer and better paid then any agricultural work. It's not just a case if the country is poor but ensuring that country has a fairer system, has a trade union and has a minimum wage system.

How it works depends on that country's economic situation. We tend to forget that as most of us are from rich developed countries just how well off we are and how much that is down to cheap labour overseas that keep retail and living prices down, we generally have a choice if we want to force ourselves to work extra hours. Those in developing countries don't.

Some countries may not have a choice but to have child labour and if that is the case then those who employ them must have a obligation to make the work place a much safer one.

[Darth Wong]

We could outlaw business with countries with unacceptable labour practices if we wanted to, but we won't, because it will sharply increase the cost of products at your local Wal-Mart. We have allowed ourselves to buy into the convenient Ayn Randian notion that ethics and material self-interest invariably coincide, and this is another example of where they don't.