Production Conditions

Production Conditions

Sweatshops

Jeanshose von hinten

(J. Haunschild)

Illegality: Partly illicit, partly illegal; circumvention or ignoring of labour rights, child work and minimum wage standards or laws

Harm: Physical harm, individual workers

Main Global Governance Instrument: Global prohibition through International Labor Organization’s conventions

Private Sector Involvement: Issuing of diverse certificates for fair trade products
The term „sweatshop“ describes production facilities where workers’ rights and safety norms are consistently and seriously violated, including not paying minimum wage, the employment of children, the prohibition of workers’ unions, and hazarding health impairments and work accidents. Instead of describing a concrete set and magnitude of rights violations, the notion is used to refer to any violations that are perceived to be socially and ethically unacceptable production conditions.