Crucifixes made in Chinese sweatshops
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/11/20/crucifixes.ap/index.html
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- ish757
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"It's a throwback to the worst of the garment sweatshops 10, 20 years ago," said Charles Kernaghan, director of the National Labor Committee.
Kernaghan held a news conference in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York to call attention to conditions at a factory in Dongguan, a southern Chinese city near Hong Kong, where he said crosses sold at the historic church and elsewhere are made.
Kernaghan said the factory's mostly young, female employees work from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. seven days a week and are paid 26 cents an hour with no sick days or holiday. Workers live in filthy dormitories and are fed a watery "slop," he said.
Kernaghan said the crosses were exhibited at an annual trade show organized by the Association for Christian Retail, a Colorado-based trade association that works with thousands of religious stores across the country.
Bill Anderson, president and chief executive of the Christian trade association, issued a statement saying: "While we occasionally hear this issue raised, and believe there are factories in China where human rights are violated, we believe claims that products sold through CBA member stores are made in these shops are irresponsible and unfounded."
Dongguan lies at the center of China's export manufacturing industry, which relies heavily on low wages to remain competitive. Factories there have been accused in the past of labor abuses, including those making products for McDonald's, Disney, Mattel and the Beijing Olympics.
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smorrisey
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if you look hard enough, one can find extremely ironic forms of hypocrisy in everything.
it just seems unfortunate this story probably wouldn't have been published had the sweatshop produced pink flamingos instead.
these special interest agendas do nothing to help the larger causes.
- 4 years ago
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smorrisey
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mshen
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Wow, Sinclair Lewis could not have invented a better metaphor.
- 4 years ago
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mshen
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mattbrawn
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I understand that production is much cheaper in the Far East, but surely this goes against everything that the Christian faith stands for?
I wonder how many people actually know the origin of the products that they are surrounded by. Check out this page to see a reporter's insight in to the shady world of Chinese production...
- 4 years ago
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mattbrawn
