Mirjam Muller is a feminist philosopher based in Berlin with a very practical bent: the ethics of sweatshops where most of the clothes we wear are made by women in the Global South.
If such women agree freely to work in such conditions and the wages are better than the alternative options, what’s not to like? The Mint caught up with Muller to find out why there is actually not a lot to like at all and what can be done about it.
Key points
Origins and Prevalence of Sweatshops
- Emerged in 1960s as corporations moved production to Global South to cut labor costs
- Countries attractive due to large unemployed populations, low regulations, tax incentives
- Focused on labor-intensive industries like textiles that were harder to automate
- Supply chains complex, with brands contracting suppliers who use local factories
Working Conditions and Labor Violations
- Low wages often below subsistence level, trapping workers in debt cycles
- 10-12 hour days common, with forced unpaid overtime during busy periods
- Health/safety hazards (e.g. 2013 Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,134 workers)
- Systematic harassment used to discipline workers, 80% of whom are women
- Restrictions on unions and collective bargaining
Defenses and Critiques of Sweatshop Labor
- Some argue sweatshops drive development and are better than alternatives
- Claimed to promote gender equality by employing women
- Critics say this ignores structural factors limiting workers’ options
- Migrant workers especially vulnerable due to visa restrictions
Strategies to Challenge Exploitation
- Supporting unions crucial – have achieved gains in wages, contracts, etc.
- Legislation like EU supply chain law to hold companies accountable
- Consumer pressure on brands and universities that use sweatshop labor
- Worker-led collaborations with anti-sweatshop movements have had some success
- Challenges remain due to resources/market power of multinational corporations
Evolving Landscape of Global Production
- Some production moving back to Global North (e.g. UK sweatshop scandals)
- Companies from Global South (e.g. Chinese firm Shein) now running own sweatshops
- Reproduces exploitative model but captures more value locally
