[Archived] Child Labour In Football Stitching

[dillo_dillo]

http://www.bba.org.in/news/061008.php

--- Once again the global sports community stands shamed by the tainted stories of child labour in football stitching. In spite of famous FIFA agreement 1996, European Parliament resolution 2004, the incorporation of the clear codes of conducts and Indian Sporting Goods Industries Monitoring and government's tall claims against no child labour, thousands of children are still stitching footballs for the big brands. ... ---

[scotchrover]

It is totally unacceptable but for some children in China or india , its a choice between getting an education or getting food on the table for their family or even themself if they live on their own.

Less economicaly developed countrys have always had this problems and will continue to do so as long as the Chinese or India or any other economy for that matter grows.

[thenodrog]

, thousands of children are still stitching footballs for the big brands. ... ---

Really? Thats shocking dillo BUT I frequently wish a few of ours that stand around on street corners and are a noisy, drunken / drugged up social nuisance would be made to do the same!

[yoda]

http://www.bba.org.in/news/061008.php

--- Once again the global sports community stands shamed by the tainted stories of child labour in football stitching. In spite of famous FIFA agreement 1996, European Parliament resolution 2004, the incorporation of the clear codes of conducts and Indian Sporting Goods Industries Monitoring and government's tall claims against no child labour, thousands of children are still stitching footballs for the big brands. ... ---

I doubt you will ever change it in India, cheap labour is there by design, it is called the caste system.

[colin]

I doubt you will ever change it in India, cheap labour is there by design, it is called the caste system.

Yoda,

I think that is a distraction from the point. If major sporting goods manufacturers wanted to ensure that their products were manufactured ethically they could quite easily do so, by actually monitoring the places that produce the goods.

They obviously have little or no desire to do so, at the expense of horrible working conditions for children. How much profit per football would have to be sacrificed in order to give these people a decent wage and decent working conditions?

But I suppose if you are going to offer £x m sponsorships deals to players to wear your boots or use a ball then the money has got to come from somewhere. Exploiting Indian children is a good a place as any to start if you have the ethics of a slug.

[yoda]

Yoda,

I think that is a distraction from the point. If major sporting goods manufacturers wanted to ensure that their products were manufactured ethically they could quite easily do so, by actually monitoring the places that produce the goods.

They obviously have little or no desire to do so, at the expense of horrible working conditions for children. How much profit per football would have to be sacrificed in order to give these people a decent wage and decent working conditions?

But I suppose if you are going to offer £x m sponsorships deals to players to wear your boots or use a ball then the money has got to come from somewhere. Exploiting Indian children is a good a place as any to start if you have the ethics of a slug.

It's not a distraction at all, who do you think is carrying out the exploitation, it will carry on as long as the caste system is in place and in every case the work is being carried out by Indian companies who want to supply these goods.

Linked to that is the wests need for the goods at ever cheaper prices.

The blame as always gets laid at the wrong door, thats why it never gets sorted.

All it would take is for the Indian government to end the caste system, do you think they are likely to do that and loose half a billion cheap labour workers?

[dillo_dillo]

This is a report from India. I think It is not a problem only for India.

.... Football stiching is still good work. Many children suffering human traffic... illegal adoption, organ donation and prostitution...

http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_30204.html

[colin]

It's not a distraction at all, who do you think is carrying out the exploitation,

The football maufacturers.

If the "Yodacolin" better mousetrap was invented we could have it manufactured anywhere. We could have it manufactured in India by children paid a pittance or maybe we could get it manufactured by people paid a decent wage.

If A**** or N*** or whoever get their products made by children who are suffering then it their decision. They are the ones in charge. These sportswear manufacturers hold all the aces.

If their goods are produced by child labour it is because they are OK for this to happen. If they were not, they would stop it. The caste system has got nothing to do with this.

Simple.

[yoda]

The football maufacturers.

If the "Yodacolin" better mousetrap was invented we could have it manufactured anywhere. We could have it manufactured in India by children paid a pittance or maybe we could get it manufactured by people paid a decent wage.

If A**** or N*** or whoever get their products made by children who are suffering then it their decision. They are the ones in charge. These sportswear manufacturers hold all the aces.

If their goods are produced by child labour it is because they are OK for this to happen. If they were not, they would stop it. The caste system has got nothing to do with this.

Simple.

If the completly unethical caste system did not exist child labour in India would not exist, simple

sportswear manufacturers are not in charge, they are operating within the law, thats what needs changing

[blue phil]

Nice Western liberals are perfectly content to turn a blind eye to the caste system in India as they are to the exploitation of ...say women ...in other "developing" nations - it suits their politically correct warped view of the world.

But if that oppression is made on a racial basis then they are the first to jump up and down and demand recriminations against the nation involved ...........and not just the companies who deal with them .

This is relevant to the current debate about who takes up the mantle of the USA ...which , it is argued , is a spent force .

Some argue that India is a democracy , well placed to move into the first world . They overlook the fact that the nation is no such thing at all . As long as countless millions are denied equal rights it is no more democratic than China .

Now let's get back to bashing the USA and the multi nationals ....

[colin]

If the completly unethical caste system did not exist child labour in India would not exist, simple

sportswear manufacturers are not in charge, they are operating within the law, thats what needs changing

Yoda,

I think I'll have to disagree (hopefully without being disagreable.)

If the footballs and other sportsware were made by child labour in other countries then surely your comments about the Indian caste system would be irrelevant.

I'm sure that plenty of the goods we in the "west" consume are made under unpleasant conditions by children & people in the "east."

Over & out.

[yoda]

Yoda,

I think I'll have to disagree (hopefully without being disagreable.)

If the footballs and other sportsware were made by child labour in other countries then surely your comments about the Indian caste system would be irrelevant.

I'm sure that plenty of the goods we in the "west" consume are made under unpleasant conditions by children & people in the "east."

Over & out.

You have never been to these countries have you?

[dave birch]

But I have,

It happens in Indonesia, it happens in parts of Malaysia,possibly Laos and Cambodia and even in China.

Yoda, I agree with you that the Caste system is wrong, but to say that India is the only place that child labour exists, is also wrong.

[thenodrog]

But I have,

It happens in Indonesia, it happens in parts of Malaysia,possibly Laos and Cambodia and even in China.

Yoda, I agree with you that the Caste system is wrong, but to say that India is the only place that child labour exists, is also wrong.

Has anybody defined what is a 'child' yet? Sure it doesn't rest easy with our westernised sensibilities for kids of single figure age to be doing 40 hours per week in a sweat shop but it's not long ago many if not most kids left school at 15 to begin work (my parents both left at 14 btw). I would even argue strongly that keeping children at school until they are 18 is quite wrong in many cases.

[dave birch]

Theno, we're talking about kids around 10 years max.

A lot are younger, it's a "needs" thing. Without it many families would have problems.

It's wrong, because the kids don't get the education, which is the way out of their problems.

[thenodrog]

Theno, we're talking about kids around 10 years max.

A lot are younger, it's a "needs" thing. Without it many families would have problems.

It's wrong, because the kids don't get the education, which is the way out of their problems.

10's too young for long hours in poor conditions but imo it's catch 22 surely. They get educated, labour costs go up and the work moves elsewhere in the world. I watched a programme yaers ago that put forward the cycle assembly industry as the barometer.

[dave birch]

Theno, why do you think there are many educated Indians around the world.

They are there because of their education, and they send a lot of their income back to their homeland to support their families.

We have a lot of students here from all over Asia, apart from studying, they work behind the counter in petrol stations and the like, which is not the most friendly environment to work in.

Good luck to them I say, I hope they get every reward that come to them, they've earned it.

[yoda]

But I have,

It happens in Indonesia, it happens in parts of Malaysia,possibly Laos and Cambodia and even in China.

Yoda, I agree with you that the Caste system is wrong, but to say that India is the only place that child labour exists, is also wrong.

Many people miss the point, including you it would seem.

I would bet anything that it would happen in England too, the reason it does not is Legislation.

That my friend is the solution, so when there is a will at government level in these countries to pass legislation and enforce it, that will be the time child exploitation will end.

[yoda]

As the Indian economy continues to grow, standards will eventually improve and sports companies won't be able to get away with what's happeneing now.

But unfortunately, I believe this sort of thing will move on to Africa. Just seems like a logical hunch.

Your right, the next country to step on the supply ladder is Madagascar,

Watch for the same headlines in the near future!

[dave birch]

I doubt you will ever change it in India, cheap labour is there by design, it is called the caste system.

Many people miss the point, including you it would seem.

I would bet anything that it would happen in England too, the reason it does not is Legislation.

That my friend is the solution, so when there is a will at government level in these countries to pass legislation and enforce it, that will be the time child exploitation will end.

Yoda, you were the one focussing on India.I merely pointed out that there were other countries in the region that also engaged in the practice.

Yes, it happened in England, It's happened in a lot of countries around the world.

However, If you legislated against it, what are you going to replace their income(however megre it was) with? Legislation is only part of the answer.

[yoda]

Yoda, you were the one focussing on India.I merely pointed out that there were other countries in the region that also engaged in the practice.

Yes, it happened in England, It's happened in a lot of countries around the world.

However, If you legislated against it, what are you going to replace their income(however megre it was) with? Legislation is only part of the answer.

Not really focussing on India, just pointing out that it is happening in India by design.

Can't think of any country where it has been stopped that does not have legislation.

If you think big business will self regulate, take a look at the finance industry!

[broadsword]

Many people miss the point, including you it would seem.

I would bet anything that it would happen in England too, the reason it does not is Legislation.

That my friend is the solution, so when there is a will at government level in these countries to pass legislation and enforce it, that will be the time child exploitation will end.

I think you're missing Colin's point.

As long as foreign companies using Eastern sweatshops prop up this exploitation then it won't end. Perhaps if they had an ethical conscience and voted with their feet it *might* change something. OK, perhaps with the caste system, it wouldn't.

But at least if Western companies went elsewhere they would no longer be compliant in it. As it is, they're saying it's OK for this to happen so they can carry on making huge profits.

[American]

And the consumers can stop it by buying the more expensive product that is made locally.

[yoda]

I think you're missing Colin's point.

As long as foreign companies using Eastern sweatshops prop up this exploitation then it won't end. Perhaps if they had an ethical conscience and voted with their feet it *might* change something. OK, perhaps with the caste system, it wouldn't.

But at least if Western companies went elsewhere they would no longer be compliant in it. As it is, they're saying it's OK for this to happen so they can carry on making huge profits.

your missing the point, big companies as well as small will not self regulate, they are trying to make money!

and the governments of these countries are also making money.

As american points out why do consumers not stop buying these products?

[colin]

your missing the point, big companies as well as small will not self regulate, they are trying to make money!

and the governments of these countries are also making money.

As american points out why do consumers not stop buying these products?

Yoda,

I think we are all heading in the same direction here.

I don't think any of us would buy a football or a football shirt if it was labelled "Made in Asia by a 10 year old on a 12 hour working day being paid 20p or 10 cents an hour."

I suppose the big question is how to find out how the shirt or the football is manufactured and then we can make a decision to avoid buying it. I certainly don't want to buy something that has been made in an Asian sweatshop.

The very simple solution is to get A****s & N**e to stop.

Which is probably easier said than done.

The easy solution would be for A****s & N**e to stop. Until they do it maybe up to us, the consumers, to question where the products are coming from.

Which is not very easy when you are in The Rovers Shop