Which corporations use sweatshops

A boy from West Bengal, Jivaj and 12 years old told the newspaper that he and a few other boys were badly beaten. Manik, a boy who claims to be 13, is also working for free. He wanted to work in a sweatshop at first because there'e a place to sleep, and one day he hops to make enough money to buy a house for his mother. Children as young as 10 told observers that they worked for 16 hours straight without rest or pay. Gap is still not willing to pay for reforming the sweatshops and joining with other companies to build a safety procedure.

It could have had a robust safety system, but instead laid off half its employees and cut standards of safety training and education between and to save money. Instead of safety, Union Carbide executives emphasized profits. They suffered no consequences. Yet if anything, Union Carbide was held more accountable than the apparel manufacturers using the zippers of Ghatkopar. At least people angry about Bhopal knew what company was responsible for that. Where do these zippers go? What companies contract with this particular sweatshop owner?

The globalized system of production has made India a dumping ground for chemical production and a place where American apparel companies exploit child labor. India is committing ever more strongly to this model of exploitation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ridden a wave of Hindu nationalism into office, but central to his agenda is the expansion of neoliberal policies favoring the wealthy and international corporations.

The only way workers like the 11 -year-old boy in Ghatkopar will see their lives improve is if we demand global standards on production with real legal consequences for companies who violate them.

The contracting system that creates layers of separation between multinational corporations and workers serves to increase exploitation and profits. It also makes it much harder for consumers in the U. First, unlike the Triangle Fire, where reforms of working conditions happened because Americans saw workers die making their clothes, we cannot see the lives of Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans who die making ours.

Second, because these corporations lack legal liability for their production, they can claim they know nothing about the working conditions of their suppliers. If Walmart, Target or Gap buy these zippers, do they even know it? When these companies have been busted for using sweatshop labor, they frequently claim that they had no production contracts there.

Given the byzantine mazes of contracting these companies do, they may be telling the truth. But a lack of public accounting means we cannot know. Whether at Bhopal or a zipper sweatshop, multinational corporations need to be held accountable for what happens where they site factories or contract their production.

Keeping clear records that show where their clothes are actually produced should be their responsibility. Specifically, we need to create legal accountability for corporations. We need international labor standards that companies must comply with if they want to sell their products in the United States. With some research, we can prevent the abuse going on in farms and factories in developing countries by not supporting those that violate human rights.

Thankfully, more fashion brands are working to solve these issues. Social and environmental sustainability is becoming a priority before economic growth. We have to buy clothing from ethical brands promoting renewable energy, reducing water and chemical usage, using sustainable materials, and treating workers right. Let's support companies that don't use sweatshops at all.

It's the more ethical choice we can make to lower the demand for cheap fast fashion and improve work conditions in garments factories. All farmers and workers across the supply chain should have access to living wages, normal working hours, skills training, healthcare, paid leaves, food service, and unions protecting their rights.

Child labor and forced labor have no place in a developed and civilized society. It's easy to say that we should ban sweatshops altogether, but it's not an easy issue to solve.

People are still relying on garment factories to earn enough money for themselves and their families living in developing countries. The fashion industry has a terrible social and environmental impact. Progress has been made but it's not nearly enough. The growing trend for sustainable fashion is a great thing. But the large majority of what's being covered in magazines isn't ethical. Fashion brands producing goods for cheap and paying their workers next to nothing are numerous.

People being employed at very low wages for long hours up to hours a week and under poor conditions shouldn't be a thing anymore. It has to stop. Alex Assoune MS is a global health and environmental advocate.

He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. Sign up for email updates to keep up with Panaprium stories and product launches. Unsubscribe anytime. Amour Vert. My Cart. By Alex Assoune. It's hard to believe, but many fashion brands are still using sweatshops.

Child labor and modern slavery cases are still being reported, particularly in Asian developing countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and The Philippines.

Clothing brands use these inhumane manufacturing methods to cheaply produce low-quality and disposable clothing for high-street stores. For consumers that are new to ethical fashion, it's difficult to keep track of how and where your clothes are being made. Read up our guide on how to check if a fashion brand is ethical if you are having this issue. Many governments have been trying to abolish human rights violations, but some sweatshops manage to run illegally. Many clothing brands, sporting goods retailers, and high-street chains are still breaking the law when it comes to labor rights.

Many factory workers are paid below the legal minimum wage, forced to work long hours in unsafe environments, don't have access to healthcare or paid leaves.

Workers won't resist for fear of their contracts being terminated. Many young women work in garments factories, being sexually abused, and forced to abort their pregnancy. Many international fashion brands and retailers spend billions to audit their factories on corporate social responsibility.

But many shocking issues and unseen problems remain as audits are conducted by people with no intimate knowledge of the factories. The impact of clothing production on the planet is disastrous.

But many fashion brands don't support environmental protection and animal rights as much as they should. Every company should work toward treating its employees and the environment better. Unfortunately, many brands still employ sweatshops and fail to sufficiently consider the environmental impact of their products and manufacturing processes. It's truly frightening. There are no better schools for children in some small towns.

Many of them believe that they are better off being employed in farms or factories to nourish their future. As consumers, we have to only support companies that pay their employees a decent living wage, ensure reasonable work hours, food service, healthcare, and free time with no child labor or forced labor. Here is the list of fashion brands that still use sweatshops.

Aeropostale Aeropostale is one of the largest American retailers of casual apparel and accessories. Adidas Adidas creates shoes, clothing, and accessories. Disney The Walt Disney Company, also known as Disney, the American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate, also makes lots of clothing and toys.

Forever 21 Forever 21 is a fast-fashion retailer headquartered in Los Angeles. Nike Nike is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories worldwide. Primark Primark is an Irish fast-fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, also operating in the United States.

Uniqlo Uniqlo is a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer.