As the death toll in Bangladesh mounts, former factory child laborer Kalpona Akter says corporations must insist on safe factories and a living wage for workers.
I hope everyone is aware of what is happening in the garment industry in Bangladesh. It is so sad. I’ve seriously cut back on my clothing spending in response to the recent tragedies and have started saving up for pieces made in the US, Canada, or Europe who have a better (not perfect) track record of fair wages, and safe working conditions. I also try to make myself one new piece of clothing every 6 months. I know these people need jobs, but we should all have a conversation about what really cheap clothing REALLY costs. It costs, lives, health, and is made out of non biodegradable fibers, and is one of the most wasteful and polluting industries in the world. How can we fix these problems? Are people even interested in fixing them?