Business Groups ‘Worried’ About The Effects Of Banning The Importation Of Goods Made With Child Labor
Business Groups ‘Worried’ About The Effects Of Banning The Importation Of Goods Made With Child Labor
One of the worst abuses in the international labor markets is the use of child labor. The most recent report on the issue by the International Labor Organization found that as of 2004 more than 218 million children were engaged in illegal work, as defined by international treaties. It’s estimated that 126 million of these children were engaged in hazardous work such as “mining or handling chemicals.”
In order to combat the issue, the Senate Finance Committee has included sections in S.1631, the Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2009, that would ban the importation of goods made “with convict labor, forced labor, or indentured labor under penal sanctions.” Such a measure by the world’s largest importer would strike a crucial blow against the use of child and slave labor.
Business groups and their lobbyists, however, are not taking kindly to the measures. The D.C.-based business newsletter “Inside U.S. Trade” reports that business groups are “worried” about the effects of such a provision, and they expect to see industry lobbyists and foreign governments profiting from child labor to form an “ad hoc” coalition to oppose it:
Business groups are worried by the potential effects of provisions banning the import of all goods made with convict labor, forced labor, or forced or indentured child labor that were included in a customs bill sponsored by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA)
Business sources say this reporting requirement could cause DHS to more actively seek out imported products made with child labor, forced labor or convict labor. [...]
Sources conceded that this was a sensitive issue because industry groups do not want to be seen as opposing strict measures guarding against human rights abuses. However, one source did expect a push from lobbyists closer to the finance committee mark-up of the bill, and speculated that U.S. industry groups and foreign governments could form ad hoc coalitions to help send a united message.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow covered the story last night. Addressing the business interests opposing the measure directly, she said, “You think that child labor and slave labor and forced convict labor are cheap and therefore cool with you? Go ahead, make your case. I would love to hear it …. you child labor-endorsing, pro-slavery freaks.” Watch it:
(HT: Openleft)
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Now what are you going to do guys? She makes you look really bad.
There will be a new “made in USA” movement and you guys will be left out.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:09 pmSo business groups are now Pro-slavery and pro-child labor?
Is this what it’s come to? Profit above all else?
This makes me retch.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:11 pmI’m sure the Chamber of Congress will be big proponents of child slave labor.
Oh and if it wasn’t for unions we could compete with child slave labor. /snark
November 12th, 2009 at 1:13 pmFred says
November 12th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
There will be a new “made in USA” movement and you guys will be left out.
_____________________________________________________________
Whatever will Wal-Mart do?
November 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pmWhere’s orangeade to accuse of us being socialists?
November 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pmSeriously. What. The. Fk.
What corporation would proudly admit to using child and slave labour?
It won’t be long before FreedomWorks/AFP takes up the cause of these poor, maligned business groups who just wanted the simple joy of employing children in sweatshop conditions and forcing people to work without paying them wages.
Also, O/T, but..
Owens may wind up being removed from Congress.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pmhttp://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7824:ny-23-election-not-over-yet&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
“Business groups and their lobbyists, however, are not taking kindly to the measures. The D.C.-based business newsletter “Inside U.S. Trade” reports that business groups are “worried” about the effects of such a provision,”
WHAT? Are these people crazy. “worried” about lost profits from losing underpaid child labor?
The “Business” leaders in these groups need to man up and take a look at their “VALUES”. How many of the “Business group” members would like THEIR kids working 12 hours a day for maybe $1.20 a day?
November 12th, 2009 at 1:16 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
It’s slavery, pure and simple. Slavery is illegal, and profiting from it better become illegal too. The fact is if these folks form a coalition, they all need to be arrested.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:18 pmInternational Ladies Garment Workers Union anthem
Words by Paula Green
Music by Malcolm Dodds
Look for the union label
When you are buying a coat, dress or blouse.
Remember somewhere our union’s sewing
our wages going to feed the kids and run the house,
We work hard but who’s complaining.
Thanks to the I.L.G. we’re paying our way.
So, always look for the union label,
it says we’re able
to make it in the U.S.A.
____________________________________________________________
Anybody remember this from the 1970’s? It may be time to resurrect this and get people looking at the labels of what they buy again.
Incidentally, the best overcoat I ever had in my life — it fit great, looked good, and lasted forever — carried an ILGWU label on the inside collar.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:19 pmThe Republipimps gotta be strong behind this one. They managed to slide down the slippery slope from being the party of Lincoln to being the party of NO, so that next step from having been for emancipation to being for slavery shouldn’t be too difficult.
WTF is Chuck Grassley doing in this? Hell, he oughta be pro-slavery, child labor, and indentured servitude too. Oh, sorry, it’s a customs bill. It’s just old Chuck doing the Greedily Obstructionist Pissant backdoor tax maneuver; this isn’t being done for any humanitarian reason, it’s a tariff move on foreign producers – hitting importers on the supply side should push demand at domestic producers, at least until the importers find a way around the legislation. Chuck’ll introduce the Grassley ‘Mandated Right to Work In a Sweatshop for Federal Benefits Recipients’ legislation any day now.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:21 pmI actually find myself looking forward to a troll on this thread. I’m betting Slappy pops up first.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:23 pmThis doesn’t surprise me in the least. If American private health insurers can hand legally hand out death sentences then businesses lobbying for slave labor should be expected.
This my friends is the heart of the capitalism; profit above morals, profit above conscience, profit over the good of mankind.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:24 pmAnd these are the people the Republicans want to run health care, etc.?
http://www.political-buzz.com/
November 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pmAs usual, the so-called “religious” groups are utterly silent on this issue, as well as the issue of torture, unprovoked warfare, and the lack of accessible health care for millions in this nation.
Just watch them leap into action, frothing at the mouth, at the mere mention of birth control, full civil rights for gays or abortion.
Whenever so-called conservatives start to wonder why so many thinking people have abandoned religion, they should take a quiet moment and reflect on their own moral deficiencies and disinterest in so many important issues.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:30 pm#9 – USNclerk says:
——————————————————–
“It’s slavery, pure and simple. Slavery is illegal, and profiting from it better become illegal too. The fact is if these folks form a coalition, they all need to be arrested.”
November 12th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
No, that’s not the best way to handle this issue.
IF these pathetic excuses for human beings DO form a coalition, make sure they all volunteer to send thier own children to work at the places where child labor is used.
If these people balk at this, then ask them why they suppport something that they wouldn’t send their children to do! It forces them to try and support something that is not just reprehensible, but outright illegal in the United States.
Hypocrisy is a wonderful thing when it’s exposed to the light of public criticism!
November 12th, 2009 at 1:32 pmWhat!? The goldurned Yankees is a-tryin’ to take away our slaves agin? Why, they cain’t do that!
Yeah, yeah, we know it didn werk when we fought ‘em with a army las’ time, but we got lobbyists now! There ain’t nuthin’ more vicious an’ cantakerous as lobbyists! Oh, yeah, we’ll git ‘em!
Bring my limo ’round. I gotta go see my lobbyists.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:33 pmSuch utter contempt we Americans are held in by our Corporations and Government. They really seem to believe all Americans are in agreement with the Corporate-created “Tea Party-Goer” cretins and shills. They are fooling themselves, which isn’t hard to do.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:38 pm.
Where have morals gone?
… That big business complains that slave labor is a necessary aspect of doing business.
Q U E S T I O N:
REMEMBER THE DAYS WHen IT WAS PATRIOTIC TO BUY “MADE IN AMERICA”?
.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:38 pmAs my husband always says, what do you expect when you have an economic system built around greed? Anything that has one of the Mortal Sins at its heart can’t be good for anyone.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:39 pmFolks, please give David Sirota his props for bringing this to Maddow’s attention.
His Nov 10th post: “From the I Shit You Not File: Business Aims to Relax Bans on Products Made with Child & Slave Labor”
(http://www.openleft.com/diary/15912/business-aims-to-relax-bans-on-products-made-with-child-and-slave-labor)
broke the story, Maddow picked it up and showed some great restrained rage on air. Thanks to Dave & Rachel!
November 12th, 2009 at 1:39 pmMark701 says:
This my friends is the heart of the capitalism; profit above morals, profit above conscience, profit over the good of mankind.
We know now that “Human Value” doesn’t flow to the bottom line.
“Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.” – John Maynard Keynes
November 12th, 2009 at 1:42 pmI gave David a hat tip at the bottom.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:42 pm#8 cd,
So you’re O.K=. with child slave labor IF the kids get at least one meal a day?
.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:42 pm@16. You’re right. I tend to look down on the mistreatment of children fairly harshly, so when I hear about people wanting it to continue so they can profit from it, Ir eact rather harshly. I’m kinda glad I don’t get to make those kinds of decisions, my temper can make me a little impulsive sometimes.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:43 pmOur republic is slipping away, bit by bit, into the abyss of corporatism.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:43 pmYeah. I remember Ralph Reed, the head of the CHRISTIAN COALITION, being conspicuously silent about the horrendous abuses (and forced abortions) at the sweatshops in the Northern Mariana Islands. The same sweatshops that his close friend Jack Abramoff pushed to get exempt from mainland law…
November 12th, 2009 at 1:46 pma customs bill sponsored by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA)
well, i guess those children should be glad they don’t sell insurance…
November 12th, 2009 at 1:51 pmWhat will these wingers do now that they are going to have to start making an honest living?
November 12th, 2009 at 1:53 pmEven the AEI should have a problem with this. American businesses forced to compete against companies that use slave labor?
Biggest problem is probably for Wal-Mart which survives on such merchandise. They do so because consumers don’t give a rat’s ass if their goods were assembled by 12 year old kids working 14 hours a day. As long as it’s cheap and as long as it’s not their 12 year old kid, they don’t give it a second thought.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:55 pmIt’s okay because those slave labor children aren’t fetuses.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:57 pm#25 – USNclerk says:
——————————————————–
“I tend to look down on the mistreatment of children fairly harshly, so when I hear about people wanting it to continue so they can profit from it, Ir eact rather harshly. I’m kinda glad I don’t get to make those kinds of decisions, my temper can make me a little impulsive sometimes.”
November 12th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Your concerns do you proud, and I think your initial response was a good one. I just felt it would be good to get the idiots to actually form a coalition so they could be singled out for their predatory and anti-child views. It would insure that their anti-American values were publically exposed.
I also understand CD’s point, that this may be the only job available to the families of some of these children. As much as we in America abhor child-labor due to our past of using child labor, we also don’t have the situation where children are the only ones who can work for the family. It’s difficult for Americans to see that particular side of this situation.
Interesting how the self-named “c”hristian organizations that are happily anti-equal-rights for all Americans (read: anti-gay) can’t quite bring themsleves to do a single thing about the children in those nations that basically use them as slave labor. Jesus would weep at their mis-placed and anti-Christian values.
November 12th, 2009 at 1:58 pmThis leads me to think that corporate America will not stop there. What’s next? Will they demand we close our own public school systems to provide the child labor for their cheaper than chinese products?
November 12th, 2009 at 2:00 pmIt appears that corporate american free enterprise may have run it course. They fail to provide a solution to their own problems and have to depend on bailouts and child labor to pull them through. The socialistic model may begin to look pretty good sometime soon.
Rachel Maddow is by far the best news anchor on TV today. She always does her homework – she always backs up what she says and on the rare occasion when she misspeaks or is mistaken, she freely admits it and apologizes.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:04 pmShe rightly called out these “freaks” and I, too, would be very pleased to see one of them actually try to defend these abominable actions.
evangenital says:
Our republic is slipping away, bit by bit, into the abyss of corporatism.
We are so fcuked.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:04 pm#24 – Max Anax junius -1 says:
——————————————————–
“#8 cd,
So you’re O.K=. with child slave labor IF the kids get at least one meal a day?”
November 12th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
“Let them eat cake!” (Which self-blinded ruler said that?)
You are looking at the situation from a very American perspective. We don’t have child-labor (read: slave labor) so it’s very easy to condemn the practice.
There are many countries that a child working is the only thing that keeps a family from starvation. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is.
How much money have you sent over-seas to help feed starving familes and help end the requirement of child labor?
I’m not condoning the practice. I think it’s abhorant, but reality doesn’t change just because of my beliefs. I regularly donate money to International Initiative to End Child Labor. http://www.endchildlabor.org
November 12th, 2009 at 2:06 pm#10, missmoly
November 12th, 2009 at 2:07 pmI sure do remember that song – I am humming it right now. Thanks. We need to hear it over and over again and get people to pay attention to it.
Remember when WalMart’s slogan was ‘Made in the USA’?
Rolling back prices, however, included sweatshop labor from children.
Sure, the bottom line improved for the corporatists.
Sure, a lot of American businesses couldn’t compete.
Sure, a lot of small hardware & drug stores have to close when a Super WalMart is built with ‘no property taxes for 10 years’ clauses included in agreements with local municipalities.
Sure, Americans are better off with lower prices…
November 12th, 2009 at 2:08 pmThe business groups will try to define the issue as unnecessary infringements on foreign governments and corporations ability to do business. They will not allow the issue to be discussed in terms of forced labor. That would be a losing strategy since most people would agree that goods produced by forced labor should be banned. I would surmise that Frank Luntz is already working on this issue.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:12 pmRachel & Dave………..our heroes!!
November 12th, 2009 at 2:12 pmNo doubt he does. “As you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.” Funny how the Bible-thumpers rarely seem to READ their weapon of choice.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:13 pmSo make the corporations pay them minimum USA wages.
The appeal of child labor is not the child but the low wages.
A decent wage would allow their parents to work instead of all of their children.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:16 pmCan we remove Barack Obama as President and replace him with Rachel Maddow? I want to give Rachel a shot at the job. She’s doesn’t spend all her time giving flowery speeches. Rachel just tells it like it is.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pmBeware of “Made in USA” labels as well:
November 12th, 2009 at 2:23 pmhttp://www.pbs.org/moyers/citizensclass/capitol_crimes/abramoff_inc/
Remember the Northern Marianas islands? It’s truly sickening.
Jesus Wept! This story of corporate greed goes way beyond the pale and made me puke. These Christian GOP jack-booted thugs have no soul. None!
The poor, the disadvantaged, the sick, the middle class and women are dirt to them. Dirt standing in the way of these bastard’s God-damned dollar.
Proof that you can’t shame them. Can’t reason with them. Can’t educate them. Worst of all – Can’t name a single one of them that calls out and condemns such retched behavior.
Monsters beyond redemption – every one.
Thanks to all that is holy for Rachel who has the courage to put these despicable & vile corporations and their flying monkeys on the radar for all the world to see.
I can see the future. How long before one (or ten) of the GOP Corporate Christians will be defending child and slave labor? Tragically, I’m betting before the day is over.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:36 pmWhile I am totally in agreement with banning the import of products made with child and subprime penal labor.
I wonder how they plan to handle the fact that in the USA, we use penal labor for various projects ?
November 12th, 2009 at 2:41 pmDemocrat Soldier says:
You are looking at the situation from a very American perspective. We don’t have child-labor (read: slave labor) so it’s very easy to condemn the practice.
There are many countries that a child working is the only thing that keeps a family from starvation. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
_____________
This is a bit of an oversimplification of an extremely complex issue. I did my masters’ capstone project on this, so I’ve studied the topic in some depth.
We should start by defining terms – a child working is not the same as child labor, and child labor is certainly not the same as slave labor (which does still exist in the US, by the way). It’s normal in most developing countries for children to work on family farms, help out at a relative’s shop, etc. That’s not necessarily child labor, as defined by UN conventions.
It’s only Child Labor when it is either physically harmful to or impedes the psychosocial development of the child – when it prevents a child from going to school, exposes the child to harmful chemicals and machinery, forces the child to engage in illegal behavior, etc. And while we often think of children working in sweatshops when we hear the term “child labor,” that’s really not the majority of cases. Often it’s a child working at home cutting leather straps for sandals, or panhandling on the street, or engaging in pickpocketing and other petty theft.
There are also plenty of non-greedy reasons to be concerned about a ban on child labor or a ban on importing of goods made with child labor. As several economists have studied, under the right economic conditions, a ban can actually be much worse for the child labor situation, forcing child laborers from the formal to the informal sector and farther out of reach of enforcement authorities. If child wages are low, chances are adult wages are low, too, which is why children have to work in the first place. And an import ban is only good if it’s global – it’s ineffective if one importing country bans it and others don’t.
A ban is also ineffective if there’s no alternative to child labor. If the education system in the developing country is failing, there’s no incentive for parents to keep their children in school. If there’s no labor market for educated individuals, there’s no incentive for children to finish school. And if the justice system and in-country enforcement agencies are corrupt, a ban is pointless and counterproductive.
Child labor is a really complex problem that needs a holistic solution, of which a ban is only one tiny component.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:49 pmchiroptera toasterhead says:November 12th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
~~~~~~~~
As always: thoughtful, insightful and very welcome to read your posts.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:02 pmIt is true that if child labor were to be completely abolished, it would hurt developing countries. If the people were paid the same minimum wage as the US, it would end most of the trade with the country since the companies can get the same here. The issue is difficult to navigate toward a humane policy without killing trade. The government alone cannot fix the problem. It will take some effort by the corporations that do business in the foreign countries.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:02 pmSo good of them to be concerned.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:09 pm@ 24 Max Anax junius -1 s
So you’re O.K=. with children starving to death?
November 12th, 2009 at 3:51 pmGod, I love Rachel Maddow!
November 12th, 2009 at 4:29 pmThe new GOP mantra: Profits before people.
November 12th, 2009 at 4:30 pmAwesome. Capitalism at it’s finest… Socialism, anyone?
Not a single troll? Come on righties! You already let me down by failing to entertain us with your defense of war profiteering gang rapists a few weeks ago so don’t drop the ball on this one! I want to hear you call us socialists and Nazis for being opposed to profiting off slavery and forced child labor! Please?
November 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pmThese business groups are anti-American-worker and interested only in propfits. They are unpatriotic and unAmerican. Throw them the hell out!
November 12th, 2009 at 8:38 pmSpeaking as a former child laborer–I was raised on a family farm–I was in my thirties before I learned that farms had a legal exception to child labor laws. It never occurred to me that one was needed.
However, I’m reasonably certain that no one in Minnesota was abusing that exception to run sweat shop corn harvests.
An aggressive policy of investigation and enforcement might possibly harm someone, but it is likely to help ten others. Sooner or later, the monsters will have no place left to hide.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:41 amEvery time I see her in action I wish that there were some way that she could be cloned and scattered throughout the whole MSM. This woman is just wonderful. This is a young Helen Thomas.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:14 amBusiness groups and their lobbyists, however, are not taking kindly to the measures.
Translation: Walmart.
November 13th, 2009 at 1:57 amGotta love Bernie Sanders.
The Godfather of Common Sense.
If it was a real democracy, those two pages would . . .
well . . . make the country a real democracy.
November 13th, 2009 at 2:14 amThe American prison population is growing at three times the rate
of the overall population. It is now over two millon.
The United States holds 25% of the world’s prison population.
There are over 70 factories in California’s prisons, alone.
The Tariff Act of 1930 prohibited import of prison made goods,
unless the U.S. is not able to produce that good solely on its own.
Yet much of what is imported is still prison made.
We really don’t know who makes what we buy,
November 13th, 2009 at 3:20 amunless it has that union label,
which these days are few and far between.
slave labour is nothing new to american global corporations… the only thing new is the public’s awareness
November 13th, 2009 at 10:06 am¢
November 14th, 2009 at 2:23 am€
November 14th, 2009 at 2:25 am
November 14th, 2009 at 2:25 am¢
222
November 14th, 2009 at 2:26 am&##8;
November 14th, 2009 at 2:27 am©
November 14th, 2009 at 2:32 am¼
November 14th, 2009 at 2:34 am♞
November 14th, 2009 at 1:04 pmϹ
November 14th, 2009 at 1:06 pm✡
November 14th, 2009 at 1:06 pm✡
555555
November 14th, 2009 at 1:07 pm☤
November 14th, 2009 at 1:14 pm☯
November 14th, 2009 at 1:15 pm♀
November 14th, 2009 at 1:16 pm☯
33
November 14th, 2009 at 1:17 pm♀
44
November 14th, 2009 at 1:18 pm♂
November 14th, 2009 at 1:19 pm