Economic GlobalizationOnly gain, no loss?

Lesson 3

Task 2 - Only gain, no loss? (p.33)

Nike has more than 700 contract manufacturers (合約製造商 ) in more than 50 countries, hiring more than 500,000 workers around the world.

Allegations (指控 ) against Nike (since 1980s)

Ignoring (忽視 ) the interests of its workers

Violating (違反 ) human rights

Not providing a safe working environment for its workers

Video

A video about globalization and Nike sweatshops (血汗工場 ) all over the world

Case 1 Year: Early 1990s

Place: Indonesia

Allegations:

Contract manufacturers (合約製造商 ) had been exploiting (剝削 ) their workers and violating (違反 ) human rights.

Working environment: extremely poor

Wages: below the minimum wage (最低工資 ) of US$1 a day (HK$7.8)

Manufacturers demanded the Indonesian government to abolish ( 廢除 ) the minimum wage.

Threatened the basic living standard of the workers

Living conditions of workers

Case 2

Year: 1996

Place: Pakistan

Allegation:

Contract manufacturers illegally (非法地 ) hired child labour to make Nike’s soccer balls (足球 ).

Child labour

Case 3

Year: 1997

Place: Vietnam

Allegation:

A contract manufacturer seriously violated (違反 ) Nike’s security code (安全守則 ) : during the production process, excessive poisonous substances (有毒物質 ) were emitted (散發 ).

Such substances were 6 to 177 times higher than the standard level (標準 ).

Extremely harmful to the workers.

Working environment of workers

Case 4

Year: Mid-1990s to early 2000s

Allegations:

Workers were underpaid (不付足夠的工資 ): US$2 a day

Very long working hours

Workers might be fired if they participated in any activities organized by the labour union (工會 ).

Workers were humiliated (被羞辱 ) and beaten.E.g. Female workers had to take off their pants (褲子 ) in front of assigned doctors

to prove their necessity to take a day off because of period pain (經痛 ).

No official annual leaves (年假 )

Major actors (主要參與者 ) involved in the cases

Nike

Workers in sweatshops

Contract manufacturers (合約製造商 )

Governments of the manufacturers / Local governments (當地政府 )

Discussion

Q1. Regarding the exploitation of workers, do you think Nike should be responsible? Why or why not?

Q2. Do you think the governments of the manufacturers should be responsible? Why or why not?

Discussion 4 students in a group Complete the discussion worksheet Time: 6 minutes Report what you have discussed (1 minute)

Q1. Regarding the exploitation of workers, do you think Nike should be responsible? Why or why not?

Yes. As the head of operations (業務運作 ), Nike should be

responsible for monitoring (監察 ) its contract manufacturers to ensure that the operations are legal (合法 ).

No. It was the contract manufacturers who broke the law. Nike only

has a contract relationship with them. Besides, Nike gave them the security code (安全守則 ), but they

did not comply (遵守 ) with it. So Nike should not be responsible.

Q2. Do you think the governments of the manufacturers should be responsible? Why or why not?

Yes. Governments should ensure that citizens live in a fair

and safe environment.

The local government has a responsibility to ensure that investors comply (遵守 ) with the law and regulations in order to prevent their citizens from being exploited.

Q2. Do you think the governments of the manufacturers should be responsible? Why or why not?

No. Since the poor conditions in developing countries leave their

governments no choice but to surrender (屈服 ) to the unequal demands of foreign investors.

Therefore, the responsibility should lie on the foreign investors, they should actively improve workers’ wages and benefits.

Conclusion

Economic globalization not only has positive impacts (e.g. more job opportunities and cheaper products), but also has negative impacts (e.g. exploitation of workers and their human rights).

Regarding exploitation of workers, all actors involved should share the responsibility, but the extent (程度 ) of such responsibility varies depending on your opinion.

Vocabulary

allegation (控訴 ) human rights (人權 ) contract manufacturer (合約製造商 ) exploitation (剝削 ) violate (違反 ) minimum wage (最低工資 ) security code (安全守則 ) labour regulation (勞工條例 )

Next lesson 24/3/2011

Quiz 2 (Unit 2)

Task 2 Q.3 (p.35)

p.38