Did you know human trafficking is the second largest crime only topped by drug trafficking? Human trafficking has became a big issue of today. According to Thai Community Development Center, "recent estimates of this illegal global trade in persons are as high as $32 billion, if both the sale of individuals and the value of their exploited labor or services are taken into account. The money generated by sex trafficking alone is conservatively estimated at $7 billion per year, although Interpol has given a higher estimate of $19 billion annually. As many as 4 million men, women, and children worldwide to be bought, sold, transported and held against their will in slavery-like conditions but we are not aware of it. There are a minimum of 15,000 - 17,000 people who are trafficked into the U.S. every year, with Los Angeles serving as one of the top three points of entry." I didn't even know that the problem of human trafficking is occurring today's society. This is the ultimate form of dehumanization. Human trafficking is commodification of human beings. The El Monte garment case disclose the issue of human trafficking to the public.
According to Los Angeles Times, "[the Thai workers] toiled an average of 84 hours a week for an average of $1.60 per hour- far below the minimum wage of $4.25 an hour. Some of the workers said ring operators deducted half their pay until they repaid the cost of transportation from Thailand". This is “a modern-day form of slavery" as Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) defines. Sadly the brokers and the employer were Thai. Thirteen years later, the Thai workers won their freedom. Why did the horrible situation happen? The most desperate reason is the globalization of human resources. In a third world country like Thailand, people work for much cheaper salary; therefore, many contractors have begun to relocate their factories in the third world countries to seek cheapest costs. Many garment plants in the United States have closed due to the relocation. Their labor costs can't compete with the third world price. Unfortunately, relocation of garment plants in the third world countries is not a perfectly profitable method. Shipping and time was still a burden. Finally the most money-thirsty people came up with this idea: recreation of third world situation in the United State. They brought people from third world countries, and force them to work like slaves. The employer threat and imprison the labors to work long hours with extremely low salary. The employees can't resist because of their illegal status. Hence, the contractor can provide cheapest price to the manufacture with labor sacrificing.
The local unemployment due to closing garment plants in the United States is the side effect of globalization of labors. Many garment workers have lost their job, even thought they have already worked for relatively cheaper salary for long time. Their working conditions were unpleasant since they were piece workers. They strictly get paid piece by piece. The price of a piece was extremely cheap. Moreover, most of them are female Asian immigrants who had no other choices to obtain other kind of jobs with their limitation of English, status, and education.
There are three basic rolls in the garment industry. They are manufactures, contractors, and labors. In the unique structure of the garment industry, manufactures don't have direct responsibility for sewers' working conditions; however, the authority is heavily on manufactures. If a contractor can't afford the price that a manufacture offers, there will be no deal. Hence, contractors have to make their labor costs cheaper to be affordable.
Ironically, in some situations, people need to be evil to live their lives. That is the spirit of capitalism.
In conclusion, manufactures' only-profit-seeking attitude ultimately promotes human trafficking and local unemployment; however consumers' demand of cheaper products makes manufactures to seek for cheaper costs. Even though this is the natural tendency of capitalism we have, we shouldn't forget there are people who are suffering from our attitude toward cheap productions.
Thai Community Development Center: http://www.thaicdc.org/cms/
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