The excesses of globalization

Wordbox: global/globalization – a network – to connect – a principle – to participate in sth – an assumption

The excesses of globalization

A sweatshop is a factory where workers are exploited and not allowed (être autorisé à) to unionize (se syndiquer). You might not sweat(transpirer) in a sweatshop, but you probably work hard (travailler dur) and under lousy (minable, pourri) conditions.

In a sweatshop, workers slave away in poor conditions for low pay (un salaire bas). Sweatshop workers — who often make clothing — aren't allowed to form unions (syndicat), so they cannot protest their poor working conditions. In repressive countries that aren't looking out for their citizens, you're more likely to find sweatshops. An American corporation that uses sweatshops overseas could find itself in a lot of trouble.

Which products are made in sweatshops?

All kinds of products can be made in sweatshops.

Some of the biggest problem industries are:

• Shoes

Many types of shoes are made in sweatshops. However, the biggest problem is found with sneakers and athletic shoes.

Most athletic shoes are made in sweatshops in Asian countries.

Child labor (travail des enfants) is also very common in the shoe industry.

• Clothing (vêtements)

Clothing is very often made in sweatshops and with the use of child labor.

In the U.S. the majority of garment workers are immigrant women that work 60-80 hours a week, usually without minimum wage or overtime pay. Overseas, garment workers routinely make less than a living wage, working under extremely oppressive conditions.

• Rugs (tapis)

A lot of child labor is used in the rug industry. Nearly one million children are illegally employed making hand-knotted rugs worldwide.

Approximately 75% of Pakistan's carpet weavers (tisseurs) are girls under 14.

• Toys

A lot of toys are made in sweatshops and by child labor. Especially toys made in countries like China, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam. The average (moyenne) North American toy maker earns (gagner) $11 an hour. In China, toy workers earn an average of 30 cents an hour.

• Chocolate

43% of cocoa beans (fèves de cacao) come from the Ivory Coast where recent investigators have found child slavery (escalavage). In addition, cocoa workers who are paid, receive wages that leave them at the edge of poverty and starvation (faim).

• Bananas

Banana workers are some of the most exploited (exploité) workers in the world. They have to work long hours, get low pay, are forced overtime (heures supplémentaires) and are exposed to dangerous pesticides.

• Coffee

Coffee is the second largest US import after oil.

Many small coffee farmers (producteurs de café) receive prices for their

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