Who says sweatshops only exist in India, Bangladesh and other developing countries. They don’t. They are everywhere. Some are right underneath your nose.
Award winning designer Alexander Wang has come under fire for running an alleged “sweatshop” in New York City’s Chinatown. Mr Wang is now being sued by 30 employees for $450 million as his factories have been violating New York State labour laws; the employees want compensation for overtime and low wages.
The employees say they have been forced to work for 16 hour days in a “stifling, windowless 200-square-foot room with 15 others”. The plaintiffs (employees) want $50 million for each of the suit’s nine charges. Alexander Wang who earned $25 million last year as denied the allegations.
So what exactly has been happening at the factory? 56-year-old Wenyu had worked at the factory for 3 years and was fired after he complained about the unhealthy environment and applied for worker’s compensation for his injuries. Wenyu claims he even had to work 25 hours without a break and as a result suffered from injuries to his eyes and kidney stones. Ming Hai (Wenyu’s lawyer) said “A lot of the workers are new immigrants and they don’t speak English. They work long hours. It’s like a new kind of slavery.”
We in the UK have a very large immigrant community and we know a lot of them will work for little money, which is why most of our parents know at least one immigrant builder who can build an extension, do the roofing AND decorate for half the price. But is this right?
Should we exploit someone’s desperation for work and income for our own advantage?
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