企业全球化和巴基斯坦英.docx

企业全球化和巴基斯坦英.docx

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企业全球化和巴基斯坦英

Corporateglobalizationandhumanrightsabusesinthesweatshopsofpakistan,indonesiaandvietnam

CorporateGlobalizationandHumanRightsAbusesintheSweatshopsofPakistan,IndonesiaandVietnam

（TheContextofChildrenRights,RightsofCitizenry,GenderEqualityandLabourRights）

"Injusticeanywhereisathreattojusticeeverywhere."MartinLutherKing.

"Ifwecannotmakeglobalizationworkforall;intheenditwillworkfornone"

KofiAnnan.

AmjadNazeer[1]

Introduction:

Borrowingitsnamefromanancientgoddessofvictoryinwar, Nike isnowtheofficialbrand-nameofthelargestsportsandapparelcorporationintheworld.‘BlueRibbonSports'wasitsgenesisthatlaterontransformedherselfintoNikeinthebeginningof1970s.Symbolizedbythesignof‘swoosh'Nikeisnowanamesynonymouswiththeworldofsports.Inhissearchforlight,sportiveyetrobustathleticshoes,PhillipKnight,thefounder,CEOandchairmanofNikepickeduptheideafromaJapaneseshoemanufacturerOnitsukawhileworkinginpartnershipwiththeOregonUniversitycoachBillBowermaninthesproutingyearsof1960s.Startingwithasminoradistributorofshoesasfromthebackofhiscar,Nike'ssuccessisskyrocketing.Itssalemovedfrom$10millionto$270millionin1970s.‘Afitnessandflyingrevolutionforfeet'whattheAmericanathleteswerelookingfor,isthesecretofKnight'sNik'spopularity.WithintwodecadesNikeemergedasanathleticshoejuggernautin1980sand1990s.

Cometheageoffreemarket,sprawlingmantraofmedia,advertisementandtransnationalinvestmentinthe1990stheGreekgoddess‘symbolizedbyswoosh'becameubiquitoustrespassingtheringofsports.MayitbethecitycentreofNorthernmetropolisorthesupermarketsofSoutherntowns;Nike'ssignisconspicuouslypresent.Nosurprisethatits'annualreturnshotuptothephenomenalamountof$12billionin2000sandexceeding$22billionlate2008/9.Nike'sCEOPhilKnightisthe5thrichestmanofAmerica,worth$5billion[2].HeadquarteredinOregonUSA,Nikeisstillatopsportswearwithitsattractivejingles,‘runonair,'‘justdoit,'and‘running'.StarsportsmenlikeMichaelJonesandTigerWoodsarepaidashighas$8-10milliondollarsjusttowearaNikeswoosh.Bearinmind,theamountexceedsthesalaryof700,000workersforamonthinaNikefactoryinIndonesia,PakistanorVietnam.SupposeMr.Knightgivesuphisoneyear'sprofitthesalaryofallNikeworkerscouldbedoubled.Thankstoglobalization,freetradezonesandcheaplaboursupplyinthirdworldcountries[3].

LeadbyUSAandBritainin1980sneo-liberalapproachofeconomicdevelopmentbegantodominatethenationalandinternationallandscapeofpoliticalpriorities.Cuttingdowntheroleofthestate,freeflowofcapital,profitmaximizationandprivateprovisionofemploymentwasadoptedasthedrivingforcebehind economic development.Endofcoldwarin1989unleashednewopportunitiesandterritoriesforglobalinvestors.Developingcountriesbegantolookforforeigninvestmentfortheirnationalgrowthemploymentgeneration.Tariffswereslashed;freetradezonessetup,taxestoppledoverand labour laws andenvironmentalconcernswereonlyaremoteconsiderationintheirinvestmentnegotiations.MultinationalandTrans-nationalCorporationsi.e.MNCsandTNCsmaterializedtheopportunitiesandrapidlytransplantedtheirproduction-unitsandsupply-chainsinthepoorcountrieswherelaboursupplywasabundantandmaterialcheap.Somuchsoaround60,000TNCsarenowoperatingacrosstheglobewith800,000supply-chainsallovertheworld[4].

TheCaseDescription:

Followingthesuit,Nike's900supplyfactoriesaresituatedin50countries,allpoorandunderdeveloped.Inordertohaveafocuseddiscussionandbetteranalysis,IwillconfinemyreferencetoIndonesia,VietnamandPakistanonly.Giventhehorribleconditionsofwork,ridiculouslylowwagesandexploitationofchild-labourNike'sfactorieswerecriticallyrenamedassweatshops.TheissuecametoforewhenUSA's‘LifeMagazine'publishedthestoryofa12yearsoldTariqin1996.StitchingdiligentlyandimmersedinthepileofNikefootballs,aswasshowninthepicture,theboyworkedforaNikefactoryinPakistanfor12to14hoursaday.Itwasthefirststoryeverthatunmaskedanuglyfaceof‘thegoddess'toAmericanpublic.Severalarticles, news-storiesanddocumentariesfollowed,unfoldingthedreadfulrealityofglobalizedproductionandsupply.

75to80%ofNikelabourcompriseson10-14yearsboysandmostlygirls.Girlsusuallyoutnumberboyssaveonthesupervisorypositions.Mostofthegirlsarestruckiftheygetmarried,otherwisefiredattheageof35toreplacewithayoungandenergeticlot.Unionizationisstrictlyprohibited.Normalworkinghoursrunfrom12-16hoursandovertimeisamust.Thedayisinterspersedwithonehourlunch-break;toiletuseispermittedtwiceadayandwaterintakeisrationed.Youngworkerskeepin-hailingmachinefumes,toxicglueandlatherandclothwool.77%ofthemgetlungcanceroracquireswearrespiratorydiseases[5]andturnoverishigh.

Accordingtointernalpricingandproductiondocuments[6]eachworkershouldproduceoneshirtevery6.6minutesandagainsteachshirtorapairofshoewhichissoldfrom$150-250aworkerispaid30-40centsaround310thto460thpartofitsretailprice.Onaverageeveryworkersewsonepocketevery17seconds,means3338pocketsinaday[7].Thoughoccasionally,ifthepoorworkersdemandhigherremunerationstheyareeitherbeatenupbythesupervisorsorbythelocalpolice.Verbalabuseisanormtospeedupthework.InatypicalVietnamesefactoryonly1doctorisavailableto6000workersandonlyfor2hoursaday.Youngworkerskeepcollapsingduetounbearableheat,toxicairandpoornutrition.InApril1997,10000outof13000workerswentonstrikedemandingapayraise.Oneworkerwaslocked-upinafactoryroomforthewholeweekandwasinterrogatedbythemilitaryfororganizinglabour[8].

Box1.OnceIndonesianNoblepeaceprizewinnerJoseRamos-Hortasaidthat‘Nikeshouldbetreatedasenemy,inthesamemannerasweviewarmyandthegovernmentastheperpetratorofhumanrightsabuses.'WhatisthedifferencebetweenthebehaviourofNikeandJapaneseimperialarmyinWWII.Yes!

Nikehascreated115000jobsinIndonesiabutonlyatsubsistentwageswhichhardlycontributestowardssustainableeconomicdevelopment'.Source,Ibid.

NikeprefershiringyounggirlsinitsapparelfactoriesasgirlsinIndonesia,VietnamandPakistanarenormallyobedientanddocileduetoculturalorientation.WhatelseNikeisdoing,ifnotcontributingtowardsthefeminizationofpoverty.Agenderneutralityassumptionofglobalizationisprovesfalse[9]onvisitinganyoftheNike'ssupplyfactories.

Box2.ThefamousAmericanbasketballplayerMichealJordan,sponsoredbymillionsofdollarstowearNikeoutfits,oncehappenedtoseeothersideofNikeinChinaandIndonesiawhere12-14yearsoldgirlswereforcedtoworkfor12-14hoursaday.Hewasmovedsomuchthathegaveall26millionUSDthathemadethatyearforthesweatshopswelfareinChinaandIndonesia[10].

InVietnamsweatshops,ifaworkerfailstoproducehermonthlyquota,sheisstruckwithapunishmentof15to20%deductionfromhersalary.Beating,harassmentandsexualabuseisnotuncommon.The factory owners arebrutalandwieldpoliceforceandlocalmafiastoharass,beatupandattimeskilltheworkerswhodemandahigherremunerationortrytounionize.Anatmosphereoffearnoticeablyfeaturesworkers'behaviour.Misconductandmanhandlingofoneinfrontofotherworkersservesasaninstrumenttosetexampleforotherstoremaininlimits[11].In2008,around20,000NikeworkersorganizedastrikeinVietnamagainstthepoorwagesandawfulworkingconditions[12],butinvain.

ChildrenRights,WomenRightsandLabourRightsintheContextofGlobalization:

Althoughexpertsandscholarsdisagreeonthechronology,causesandconsequencesofglobalizationbutinthepresentcontext,Iwillemphasisetransnationalinvestment,productionandsupplyaspectofglobalization.AccordingtoFredericJameson,‘Globalizationreflectsthesenseofanimmenseenlargementofworldcommunication,aswellasofthehorizonoftheworldmarket,bothofwhichseemfarmoretangibleandimmediatethaninearlystagesofmodernity'.DavidHelddefines‘globalization'as‘aprocesswhichembodiesatransformationinthespatialorganizationofsocialrelationsand（economic）transactions-assessedintheirtermsofextensity,intensity,velocityandimpact-generatingtranscontinentalorinter-regionalflowsandnetworksofactivity,interactionandtheexerciseofpower'.[13]

InreferencetoTNC'spracticesintheirsupply-unitswefindthemguiltyofviolatingallinternationalhumanrightsprinciplesstatedinvariousconventions.TheArticle25

（1）statesthat‘everyonehastherighttoastandardoflivingadequateforthehealthandwellbeingof（her）selfandofherfamily.'Similarlytherighttoan‘adequatestandardofliving'alsomakesaconspicuousappearanceinArticle11ofIC-ESCRstatingthat,‘thestatepartiesrecognizetherightofeveryonetoanadequatestandardoflivingfor（her）selfandherfamily'.TheConventionontheRightoftheChildalsorecognizes‘therightofeverychildtoastandardoflivingadequatetothechild'sphysical,mental,spiritual,moralandsocialdevelopment'underArticle27.Workrelatedrightsanddecentstandardoflivingisalsorecognizedinallotherregionalconventionsaswell[14].Slaveryandslave-likepracticesareprohibitedbothincustomaryandthetreatylaw.Slaveryisprohibitedtogetherw