Sweatshop - business establishment that makes its employees work under harsh and often
hazardous conditions, and pays only minimal or survival wages.
1
First of all, the company simply must follow the rules of the country where it operates. Working for
84 hours a week compared to the 40 hours week set by local authorities in Shenzhen province and
also at a rate of 24 cents per hour versus 33 cents per hour minimum wage is an atrocious violation
made by Ohio Art Company.
Secondly, on top of complying with the country legislation, Ohio Art Company has to make sure it
complies with all contemporary expectations of a business that operates ethically. Business ethics
can be interpreted in different ways but that does not allow an Ohio Art Company to operate
without any concern for its business mode in various parts of the world, be it China, Poland, Vietnam
or US.
There is a common agreed list of criterions on how the international company should lead its
business and most of these criterions are well founded, discussed and clarified. Moreover they are
very fundamental and therefore easy to understand for a company executive.
To say that the Ohio Art Company should feed the Chinese workers and treat them very well, that is
to say nothing. It is already clear that Ohio Art Company should have done something about its
Chinese operations. That is not the question. The real question here is how much the company
should do and what it should do exactly.
To answer this question in a right and balanced manner, we think the company should set the
international standards as a benchmark, i.e. the standards that define how workers should be
treated and paid for their job. When it comes to treating workers we should look at how they are
treated across the globe focusing on world best practices. It is absurd to follow Chinese labor
standards which are rough compared to those of US or European (in fact the Ohio Art Company’s
Chinese manufacturer did not even follow these official standards for Shenzhen province). At the
same time it will be dubious and impractical to follow US labor standards and norms in China. In
other words, the company has to clearly define what acceptable treatment of employees is and
what is not.
In order to make it workable the Ohio Art Company has to draft a comprehensive checklist of best
practices and norms for the operations of its Chinese manufacturer. This checklist eventually has to
take a legal form, be finalized, distributed and explained throughout the whole company and finally
incorporated into corporate culture of Ohio Art Company as well as Kin Ki. Kin Ki, though being
remotely located manufacturer in China, has to go through exactly the same process as Ohio Art
Company itself. If the rules are not followed the Ohio Art Company should threaten to work with Kin
Ki. Both, Ohio Art Company and Kin Ki, have to be precisely clear on what it means to them fair and
proper treatment of employees.
6
Ohio Art Company should ask questions, demand transparency, and inform Kin Ki Industrial about
the labour standards that they must meet.
That is a one time job. The job that has to be done on a regular basis is frequent and random
inspections on all premises of Ohio Art Company located in China or any other country where Ohio
Art Company decides to outsource its manufacturing activities.
Regular and open visits by all media and special interest groups should be welcomed in order to
show that the company is truly striving to do the best to comply with what is considered the best
world practices and has nothing to hide or to be afraid of from the public. The company should make
annual inspection by employing local managers at Kin Ki to monitor company’s activities and the
treatment of the labour. At the same time managers at Ohio Art Company should learn the cultural
differences between China and US and be aware of the business environment in China.
The document reflecting the world best practices on the employee treatment must be implemented
and not left to be put in a frame on the wall or some other purely symbolic purposes.
What is more, the company should not also wait for the world’s latest best practices but instead
should set them itself. Ohio Art Company should be proactive and should not wait till it will be torn
apart by zealous media and human rights groups. The company can redefine its image in the public
as a company that pays special interest to how its overseas operation is run, the company that really
cares about its employees even in far located China.
Before Ohio Art Company choose their manufacturer they should ask these questions:
Does the business have a code of conduct that protects human rights or checklist of best practice
norms on treating workers?
Is the business providing development programs in the communities where your workers live?
Are the business factories monitored by independent, third-party sources?2
The Ohio Art Company should try to be something opposite to Nike, which was well known for its
child labor use in Pakistan and humiliating labor practices in China.3
Sweatshop - business establishment that makes its employees work under harsh and oftenhazardous conditions, and pays only minimal or survival wages.1First of all, the company simply must follow the rules of the country where it operates. Working for84 hours a week compared to the 40 hours week set by local authorities in Shenzhen province andalso at a rate of 24 cents per hour versus 33 cents per hour minimum wage is an atrocious violationmade by Ohio Art Company.Secondly, on top of complying with the country legislation, Ohio Art Company has to make sure itcomplies with all contemporary expectations of a business that operates ethically. Business ethicscan be interpreted in different ways but that does not allow an Ohio Art Company to operatewithout any concern for its business mode in various parts of the world, be it China, Poland, Vietnamor US.There is a common agreed list of criterions on how the international company should lead itsbusiness and most of these criterions are well founded, discussed and clarified. Moreover they arevery fundamental and therefore easy to understand for a company executive.To say that the Ohio Art Company should feed the Chinese workers and treat them very well, that isto say nothing. It is already clear that Ohio Art Company should have done something about itsChinese operations. That is not the question. The real question here is how much the companyshould do and what it should do exactly.To answer this question in a right and balanced manner, we think the company should set theinternational standards as a benchmark, i.e. the standards that define how workers should betreated and paid for their job. When it comes to treating workers we should look at how they aretreated across the globe focusing on world best practices. It is absurd to follow Chinese laborstandards which are rough compared to those of US or European (in fact the Ohio Art Company’sChinese manufacturer did not even follow these official standards for Shenzhen province). At thesame time it will be dubious and impractical to follow US labor standards and norms in China. Inother words, the company has to clearly define what acceptable treatment of employees is andwhat is not.In order to make it workable the Ohio Art Company has to draft a comprehensive checklist of bestpractices and norms for the operations of its Chinese manufacturer. This checklist eventually has totake a legal form, be finalized, distributed and explained throughout the whole company and finallyincorporated into corporate culture of Ohio Art Company as well as Kin Ki. Kin Ki, though beingremotely located manufacturer in China, has to go through exactly the same process as Ohio ArtCompany itself. If the rules are not followed the Ohio Art Company should threaten to work with KinKi. Both, Ohio Art Company and Kin Ki, have to be precisely clear on what it means to them fair andproper treatment of employees.6Ohio Art Company should ask questions, demand transparency, and inform Kin Ki Industrial aboutthe labour standards that they must meet.That is a one time job. The job that has to be done on a regular basis is frequent and randominspections on all premises of Ohio Art Company located in China or any other country where OhioArt Company decides to outsource its manufacturing activities.Regular and open visits by all media and special interest groups should be welcomed in order toshow that the company is truly striving to do the best to comply with what is considered the bestworld practices and has nothing to hide or to be afraid of from the public. The company should makeannual inspection by employing local managers at Kin Ki to monitor company’s activities and thetreatment of the labour. At the same time managers at Ohio Art Company should learn the culturaldifferences between China and US and be aware of the business environment in China.The document reflecting the world best practices on the employee treatment must be implementedand not left to be put in a frame on the wall or some other purely symbolic purposes.What is more, the company should not also wait for the world’s latest best practices but insteadshould set them itself. Ohio Art Company should be proactive and should not wait till it will be tornapart by zealous media and human rights groups. The company can redefine its image in the publicas a company that pays special interest to how its overseas operation is run, the company that reallycares about its employees even in far located China.Before Ohio Art Company choose their manufacturer they should ask these questions:Does the business have a code of conduct that protects human rights or checklist of best practicenorms on treating workers?Is the business providing development programs in the communities where your workers live?Are the business factories monitored by independent, third-party sources?2The Ohio Art Company should try to be something opposite to Nike, which was well known for itschild labor use in Pakistan and humiliating labor practices in China.3
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..