louise.dalgleish:
As someone quite rightly stated
'The questions are do you stop shopping there so that the child has no work at all? Do you stop in the hope it will improve their pay/conditions? or do you carry on knowing that at least the child has some form of work?
I only say this as my husband went to a factory in India last year. There was a boy of about 7 with no shoes on sorting bolts. He was horrified at this child labour until later in the visit he saw families scavaging in the rubbish for something to either eat or sell. Who is better off?'
Don't be so naive! Sounds to me like someone is using any excuse to try to clear their conscience!
Their pay and conditions will never improve if you continue to buy such products. The more demand for cheap products from the West can only increase the demand for sweat shops and the cruel abuse of children who are often beaten and scolded by the "employers". The increase demand will increase competition forcing these barbaric employers to make these children work harder so that they can sell the products cheaper.
By not buying these products because of the conditions you are sending a message saying that you are not prepared to see children suffer this way. This will NOT put children out of jobs but will push their employers to treat the children in a more humane way and perhaps, with a bit of pressure on the governments of these countries, these children will one day be entitled to something that your children are entitled to..An education and the need for a school poloshirt!!!
