Buy Cambodian
For those who fret about horrible labor practices in the far-away lands that manufacture our clothes, know this: Cambodia is unique in the region for its labor relations. A 2001 Labor Law provides a comforting list of labor rights: freedom of assembly, protections for union organizers, safeguards against child labor, a novel labor arbitration board with a full docket resolving collective bargaining disputes, and, most unusual, an unobstructed right of the International Labor Organization to conduct spot factory inspections. Labor unions are unusually strong, here, too — there is plenty of talk of strikes in garment factories and hotels, in particular. Seamstresses (yes, they are pretty much all women) do make a living wage, for the most part. The $80-100 they earn each month is quite a bit more than one can earn in most other pursuits, particularly when education is not an option. Cambodia contrasts significantly with Bangladesh and China, so its garments may cost a bit more. But wouldn’t you pay the difference?
February 21st, 2006 at 6:20 am
I bought a round of new undies at Hecht’s (soon to be Macy’s) George Washington Birthday Sale that were made, respectively, in Vietnam, Mexico and Guatamala. Should I turn them in for Cambodian undies?
February 21st, 2006 at 6:36 am
I see a lot of goods from Vietnam but not as much from Cambodia..I’ll keep checking the labels…
February 21st, 2006 at 7:08 am
Poor Guatemala and Mexico are losing their garment business to Southeast Asia, because the labor is definitely still cheaper here. The factories in Vietnam are generally okay, but they don’t ‘low no rabble-rousing.