The 2500 workers at the Anowara Apparels factory in Bangladesh spend all day sewing jeans, primarily for the Faded Glory brand of clothes sold at Walmart. They are 90% young women, some with families to support and others trying to simply scrape a living together. The women make between 11 and 17 cents an hour sewing jeans, and they're expected to produce at least ten pairs an hour. That means they make less than two pennies for each pair of jeans they sew. Recognizing the gross underpayment of these workers, the Bangladeshi government has suggested raising the minimum wage to 35 cents an hour. Walmart has responded by lobbying against Bangladesh's efforts to fairly compensate workers and decided to keep their staff living in abject poverty.
<idle musing>
I'm reminded of the passage in the book of James (5:4-6):
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self–indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
</idle musing>
HT: BJ
2 comments:
My upper-middle class conservative (fundamentalist) Christian family can't bring themselves to see this plain truth. Shopping at Wal-mart, when you have the means and the know-how to make more meaningful consumer decisions, is simply inconsistent with the kingdom of God.
Joseph,
I agree. I saw one person comment that at least they are getting paid, otherwise they would be engaged in prostitution. I fail to see why keeping their wages down is justified by that statement—unless they imply that Walmart will just shut it down rather than pay an extra $0.50/hour!
James
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