The Use of Sweatshops by Fashion Industry.
The definition of the sweatshop is a workplace where workers are subject to the following: extreme exploitation, including the absence of a living wage or benefits, poor working conditions, such as health and safety hazards, and arbitrary discipline. Historically, the word "sweatshop" originated in the 19th century to describe a subcontracting system in which the middlemen earned profits from the margin between the amount they received for a contract and the amount they paid to the workers. The margin was said to be "sweated" from the workers because they received minimal wages for excessive hours worked under unsanitary conditions. The owners', of these sweatshops', strategy is to attract the workers by promising high salaries, accommodation and safe environment but when the workers actually begin to work, their salaries drop to pennies a day, accommodation and food are extra and the environment is harsh. Not only that, the workers upon being hired have to pay a fee between $2000-$4000 to agencies to provided them with the employers.
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Sweatshops in the US.
Today, the sweatshops located everywhere. The overwhelming majority of garment workers are immigrant women. They typically work about 60 - 80 hours a week in front of their machines, often without minimum wage or overtime pay. In fact, the Department of Labor estimates that more than half of the country's 22,000 sewing shops violate minimum wage and overtime laws. Many of these workers labor in dangerous conditions including blocked fire exits, unsanitary bathrooms, and poor ventilation. Government surveys reveal that 75% of U.S. garment shops violate safety and health laws. In addition, workers commonly face verbal and physical abuse and are intimidated from speaking out, fearing job loss or deportation.
Overseas.
Overseas, garment workers routinely make less than a living wage, working under extremely oppressive conditions.