I remember one particularly bad factory in China. It produced outdoor tables, parasols, and gazebos, and the place was a mess. Work floors were so crowded with production materials that I could barely make my way from one end to the other. In one area, where metals were being chemically treated, workers squatted at the edge of steaming pools as if contemplating a sudden, final swim. The dormitories were filthy: the hallways were strewn with garbage—orange peels, tea leaves—and the only way for anyone to bathe was to fill a bucket with cold water. In a country where workers normally suppress their complaints for fear of getting fired, employees at this factory couldn’t resist telling us the truth. “We work so hard for so little pay,” said one middle-aged woman with undisguised anger. We could only guess how hard—the place kept no time cards. Painted in large characters on the factory walls was a slogan: “If you don’t work hard today, look hard for work tomorrow.” Inspirational, in a way.
There are burgeoning hospitality, entertainment, and wellness industries in Nepal. The label ‘Adult Entertainment Sector’ (‘AES’), used in anti-trafficking efforts, has resulted in stigmatisation of the owners and, mainly female, workers of ...Read More
Australians are adopting renewables quickly, at around a celebrated ten times faster than the global average. Explanations point to rising domestic electricity costs, the benefits of lots of sunshine and high homeownership, lack of red tape and fall...Read More
The British Red Cross and UNHCR report, At risk: exploitation and the UK asylum system, finds that people seeking asylum in the UK are at risk of exploitation and have been exploited in the UK. When people are forced to flee, they leave behind m...Read More
Russia’s war on Ukraine has rendered an unprecedented scale of forced displacement, primarily of women and children. Since 24th February 2022, it is estimated that seven million have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries. As of 1 st November 2022...Read More
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