Why No-Sweatshop?

A sweatshop is a manufacturing facility in which any of the following conditions exist:

• Employees are not paid a "living wage" (the amount required to provide basic necessities for a small family).
• Employees are not permitted to form unions.
• Employees are subject to unsafe and unsanitary working conditions.
• Employees are expected to work more than 60 hours per week, with less than 4 days off per month.
• Employees are expected to meet quotas by working overtime without additional compensation.

Sweatshops exist because of lax regulations in poor nations, and the competitive pressures of the global economy. For most of the countries that host sweatshops, all they have to offer the international community is their cheap labour. So how can we protect workers from what we may consider to be over-exploitation, while still supporting their need to work? Boycotting all products from countries known for sweatshop abuses is not the answer, since doing so effectively denies these poor nations the opportunity to participate in the global economy and to move forward towards affluence. However, some working conditions are simply too horrendous to support in the name of nation building. Downbound boycotts sweatshops based on case-by-case analysis, but does seek to work with good companies in less than ideal countries. The most effective way to combat sweatshop abuses is to participate actively with the countries hosting sweatshops, by engaging in political activism and by purchasing products made acceptably in these countries. 

Taking a stand against sweatshops does not mean an intolerance for working conditions worse than those found in first world countries. It is an inescapable fact that even non-abusive manufacturing facilities in poor countries will not be able to give their employees the same lifestyles and benefits that they would have if performing the same work in a first world country. Again, often the only way for poor countries to participate in the global economy is to offer inexpensive labour. However, the cost of living is also much lower in poor countries, meaning that their people require less money to live comfortably than they would in a first world country. Rather than treating inexpensive labour as synonymous with sweatshop labour, it is best for us to support workers' rights to offer inexpensive labour to the global marketplace, but to ensure that the products we purchase from them are made under acceptable (yet realistic) working conditions.

Downbound's No-Sweatshop Policy
All of Downbound's suppliers must attest to compliance with Downbound's no-sweatshop policy, and provide proof of compliance when requested.

In addition to meeting the minimum standard of adhering to all local laws in the country of manufacture, the following standards must be met by Downbound's suppliers:

Wages and Benefits
Employers shall pay employees at least a “living wage”, and provide acceptable calculations or references to confirm that the wages paid are enough to provide for the basic necessities of a small family in the country of manufacture.

Hours of Work
Except in extraordinary business circumstances, employees shall (a) not be required to work more than 48 hours per week and 12 hours overtime and (b) be entitled to at least one day off in every seven day period.

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
Employers shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Health and Safety
Employers shall provide a safe and healthy working environment to prevent accidents and injury to health.

Overtime Compensation
In addition to their compensation for regular hours of work, employees shall be compensated for overtime hours at a rate at least equal to their regular hourly compensation rate.

Harassment or Abuse
No employee shall be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.

Nondiscrimination
No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin.

Child Labour
No person shall be employed at an age younger than 15, or the age of compulsory education if such age is greater than 15.

Forced Labour
There shall not be any use of forced labour, whether in the form of prison labour, indentured labour, bonded labour or otherwise.

It is extremely difficult for individual consumers to ascertain whether or not a particular product was made in a sweatshop, unless it was made in a first world country. Downbound takes on the responsibility of sweatshop research for you, and only provides you with products that meet our stringent no-sweatshop policy. You can purchase anything from Downbound with full confidence that it was manufactured under respectful working conditions.