Mandate labeling on clothing/shoes which confirms humane working conditions
- Target:
- People and governments worldwide who care about the workers who produce their clothing/shoes/etc.
- Region:
- GLOBAL
This petition basically states that consumers/people who buy clothing and shoes in the United States and other developed countries of the world are concerned about the working conditions and the pay of the people who make these goods and we wish for there to be some kind of trade legislation or action by our federal, state and local governments to mandate such labeling.
The labeling now on most clothing and shoes simply states the country of origin of the item, which is often a third world country with possibly weak or non-existent labor and and/or environmental standards/laws.
Sometimes because of this lack of labor/environmental regulation and/or lack of governmental enforcement of such existing labor/environmental regulation (laws). Businesses/employers/owners in these less developed countries may take advantage of the large impoverished populations in concert with buyers from more developed countries who's greed for profit has gotten the best of them and offer substandard or inhuman working conditions and pay for poor citizens who, in reality, have no other viable option but to accept the harsh conditions and take work wherever available, because their poverty is so deep and desperate that they have no other viable option.
Often times, in such situations, child labor or forced child labor can be involved and this is unacceptable.
Also, because of the political or economic climate in their countries, many of these workers have no voice besides...us... the consumers who buy these items (clothing, shoes etc.) in the developed world... we have the leverage and the voice, and the freedom... not them... so we must take the initiative and lobby our governments and retailers for change.
In order for consumers to make wise, moral and ethical decisions concerning purchasing such items they must be fully informed of the working conditions of the workers who produced the clothing which they are about to buy and whether or not the workers were paid a living wage....and the most powerful and immediate way to do this is for more complete and informative labeling which is strictly enforced by the federal and/or state governments and retailers in participating countries on all imported clothing/shoes etc.
The label could simply state that: "The workers who produced this item were payed a livable minimum wage in humane/environmentally sound/safe working conditions as defined by the U.S. Dept of Trade" etc. (varies according to country).
Such action would go a long way towards aiding the poor in third world countries protecting them from oppressive labor conditions and protecting children.
Also this would allow consumers in the U.S. and other developed countries to no longer have to be a part of the oppression or harsh treatment of the poor in third world countries or the destruction of their local
environment and/or water supplies through factory run-off etc.
I, for one, would surely pay more.....much more for any item containing such labeling and believe other consumers would also be willing to do this.
We the undersigned agree with the ideas expressed in this petition and wish for it to be used to urgently and emphatically petition our governments and retailers to pursue such legislation and reform concerning these issues.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Mandate labeling on clothing/shoes which confirms humane working conditions petition to People and governments worldwide who care about the workers who produce their clothing/shoes/etc. was written by Devin Baker and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.