Sweatshops And Violation Of Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sweatshops And Violation Of Human Rights - Essay Example The opponents of sweatshops argue that under no circumstance, the rights and dignity of human beings should be violated by exploiting poor people’s labor and forcing them to work under dangerous conditions at low wages. On the other hand, proponents assert that without jobs in sweatshops, there are only far worse alternatives such as prostitution, crime, or even starvation. Are sweatshops and slave labor acceptable or even justifiable? In most ways, considering moral judgments, the answer would be a conclusive no; however, it also depends on the economic and cultural contexts of individuals and countries, making it acceptable in some ways. Stopping the poorest people from working in dangerous environments as an excuse for protecting them from low wages, hazardous circumstances, and abuses are not the ultimate solution for them; instead, they should be provided with better choices and alternatives that would eventually allow them and their country to stand on their own feet. When it comes to the matter of slave labor or sweatshops, it is difficult to determine precisely what sweatshops actually mean. The U.S. General Accounting Office defines a sweatshop as â€Å"an employer that violates more than one federal or state law governing minimum wage and overtime, child labor, industrial homework, occupational safety and health, workers compensation, or industry regulation.† However, it seems very unreasonable and unrealistic to apply this standard to people in poor countries, as they have a very low standard of living and are desperately in need of jobs to sustain their daily livelihood. Hence, it is vital to understand the concept of sweatshops from their point of view, to ascertain what they actually need to survive, and what can practically benefit them in the long term. Opponents of sweatshops believe that buying products from sweatshops is immoral.