Wal-Mart caught employing child laborers

[jim3775]

link
We can thank the free Canadian press for this.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is promoting a corporate code of conduct that it calls one of the strictest in the industry. But an investigation by SRC, the French-language service of the CBC, casts doubt on the company's capacity to enforce that code in dealing with Third World countries.

Much of the clothing purchased by Wal-Mart is made in poor countries like Bangladesh. It was with the intention of preventing abuse in the workplace, especially the use of child labor, that Wal-Mart introduced its code of conduct. It specifically says the company will not deal with any supplier that employs children under age 14.

...

In one factory, typical of many in the country, children were busy with lower-skill tasks. In badly lit, dirty and overheated workshops, young boys were everywhere.

A label reading Simply Basic, one of Wal-Mart's in-house brand names along with the number CA 28885, the corporate ID of Wal-Mart Canada, was seen in the factory.

The same factory also produces Wal-Mart's corporate T-shirt for Canada.

After he was confronted, the owner of the factory said the children were working on domestic production be he admitted that Wal-Mart never sent inspectors.

[skooooo]

1. Hey didn't you see Zoolander??

These kids want to work!!!

[Jella]

2. And my favorite neocon response....

well at least we're letting them put food on their tables.... I mean I'm all for kids delivering papers and mowing some lawns, but come on now... I go by the parking lots, and they are crammed full.

My cousin told me, don't be surprised if my gift comes from Walmart, to my reply, well at least I didn't spend my money there. They laugh at my disdain for Walmart, so I can't even convince my own family.