In today's L.A. Times there is an article by James
Brudney and Catherine Fisk that points out that Wall Mart and Gap, two huge
American corporations, have opted out of worker protection in Bangladesh.
They, and many other corporations, have refused to
singn the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a "historic
advance over the voluntary private factory monitoring that has tragically
failed to prevent the recent disasters in Bangladesh," state the writers.
It seems obvious that firms who make enormous
profits by doing business with firms that imperil the lives of their workers
bear a responsibility to work for safe buildings with fire exits, proper
ventilation and somewhat decent wages that can only be brought about by labor
unions.
The Times' editorial page is perhaps more
depressing than the article. It states that most U.S. companies have refused to to join
with several European companies to sign a pact to work together to ensure that
Bangladeshi workers work in safe buildings. "They will pool
resources to inspect building, contribute to a fund to upgrade factories an to
binding arbitration in disputes over safety commitments," states the Times.
Years ago, The Southernland Studies documented that if major U.S. corporations, who were offenders in breaking regulatory codes and rules, were made to appear before criminal courts
they would do substantial jail time because they were repeat offenders.
Perhaps we should look upon Wall Mart, Gap, and
other U.S. corporations who won't contribute to efforts to provide basic human
rights to foreign workers as crooks, or, at a bare minimum, as incorrigible
moral reprobates.
I'm sure that most of us would be willing to pay 75
cents more for a pair of jeans if it meant the the safety and welfare of
Bangladeshi workers would be improved.
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