In their article, The Ethical and Economic Case against Sweatshop Labor: A Critical Assessment, Powell and Zwolinski examine the controversial issues revolving around sweatshops. The article argues that sweatshops do not rely on competitive market and it is the role of various agencies within the economy to find diverse ways to modify the sweatshops behaviors (Powell and Matt, 449). According to Powell and Zwolinski, the sweatshops to a considerable extent do not violate various labor laws on wages, working hours, working environment and disciplinary technique. From the article, it is evident that, a general assumption is that employees in sweatshops are coerced by being beaten, labored and even sexually mistreated.
From the article, it is evident that there is some assumption that sweatshops exploit employees by paying them poor wages and remuneration (Powell and Matt, 454). For instance, the salaries paid by the Multinational Companies in the home countries completely differ from what the same companies in their host countries oversees. Although the wages are low, it enables employees to meet their basic needs. However, this has created continuous cycle of poverty. Despite these assumptions, Powell and Zwolinski argue that the organizations use the available cheap labor to minimize expenses of production (Powell and Matt, 452). Additionally, by MNC creating sweatshops, they gain diverse benefits that include specialization, swift growth and expansion, minimized cost of production and increased productivity. These companies offer opportunities for the locals to generate income and at the same time maximize profits.
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From the article, it is evident that sweatshops provide an opportunity for the locals to eradicate poverty. By local seeking employment voluntary in the sweatshops, it is a clear indicator that sweatshops offer the best opportunity for them to generate some income to meet their basic needs. In the developing economies, sweatshops are the best available option for one to generate some income (Powell and Matt, 466). Sweatshops is a kind of mutually beneficial exploitation between employees and employers. The major reason behind this is the fact that wages offers employees a good chance to enhance their living condition as compared to what would have been offered by other domestic industries. Additionally, Powell and Zwolinski argue that a relatively low paying employment opportunities are better than being completely unemployed.
According to the authors, there is no economic mechanism that has been developed or identified that will provide increased wages or a good working environment to be lawfully authorized without causing harm to the employees (Powell and Matt, 470). The vice versa is also true that, no economic mechanism that has been developed or identified that would provide increased wages or a good working environment to be lawfully authorized without benefitting the employees. The major reason behind this is the fact that modification of laws has its cost and benefits. Using a comprehensive welfare analysis, costs and benefits of a legal act can be identified and compared to determine their moral significance.
Based on authors’ arguments on sweatshops, I believe there is a need to improve and enhance the labor laws touching on the working environment within sweatshops through legal means and more so, coordination with companies rather than eradicating them (Powell and Matt, 457). The major reason behind this is the fact that sweatshops offer employment to the youths creating sustainability in the society. Additionally, through sweatshops, people generate income which in turn enables them to meet basic needs eradicating poverty over time. It is important to note that the emergence of globalization has raised the need for cheap labor, making sweatshops unavoidable (Powell and Matt, 467). Sweatshop offers a good opportunity for developing economies to generate more capital to facilitate their economic growth. Citizens employed in sweatshops should also be educated on their rights. This will help in dealing with issues of coercion and mistreatment in the workplace.
- Powell, Benjamin, and Matt Zwolinski. “The Ethical and Economic Case against Sweatshop Labor: a Critical Assessment.” Journal of Business Ethics. (2011). Print.
