no sweatshop debate

Recently i wrote a blog about the no sweatshop label. After i wrote it i emailed them and let them know, they got back to me with their point of view which has put some things in a new light. I can see most of their points so I've taken the initial blog down, but we still clash on one major issue.

As a part of what i wrote my major point was that companies who are producing things ethically in Australia but also suppling sweatshop made goods can be accredited to carry the no sweatshop label. So you could buy a hoody or garments that is made by workers in Australia who are making good wages, thanks to the code, but the profit from that goes to a company that is heavily investing in sweatshops and profiting from them in other markets. That's not to my definition ethical at all. Especially when the company is predominately a sweatshop supplier but dabble in Australian produced goods for the niche market of people with souls.

On one hand i understand verifying what companies do overseas is basically impossible unless you're funded by the UN and even then you'd have a hard time sorting the wheat from the chaff. But to list them as 'ethical suppliers' because they offer one ethically produced product line in a family of exploitation products is very misleading. I understand that we live in the real world and that engaging with these companies may mean that their Australian work force is now getting a much better deal, and that's great, but they should be on a separate list to the ones who are 100% no sweatshop. This way they have something to aim for. If they get all the benefits of the code now why would they seek to improve their practises?

What i would like to see with the code is a simple change to the listing of companies. maybe adding a nice little gold star next to the companies that only produce in Australia. This way people can more easily direct their business to them. In the end it's almost a debate about ethical investment. Is a product really no sweatshop if the money made from it goes to sweatshops?

comments?

-Rocket