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Author Topic: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?  (Read 7237 times)

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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2011, 10:37:43 PM »

If we're talking about modern sweatshops which are enforced by state law and treaty (where local govts basically don't allow laborers to unionize or collectively bargain), then yes it's bad for liberty. Like or not, if the market forces on the price of labor go one way only (where the employer gets to set a price, but the employee has no right to set his/her), then it's not a free market.
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LTKoblinsky

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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #16 on: April 15, 2011, 02:13:22 AM »

If we're talking about modern sweatshops which are enforced by state law and treaty (where local govts basically don't allow laborers to unionize or collectively bargain), then yes it's bad for liberty. Like or not, if the market forces on the price of labor go one way only (where the employer gets to set a price, but the employee has no right to set his/her), then it's not a free market.

There are a lot more pro-union laws in the US than anti union laws. Besides, saying, "fuck you, I'm out." is negotiating your price. Now, you may not be in a good position to quit, but consequences are part of any choice or freedom.
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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2011, 02:21:10 AM »


 Besides, saying, "fuck you, I'm out." is negotiating your price. Now, you may not be in a good position to quit, but consequences are part of any choice or freedom.

This,

Unless you're a spineless jellyfish that needs an "official club" to charge you fees for something you and your co-workers can easily do on your own, especially with the thousands of networking options available today.
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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2011, 02:35:28 AM »

If we're talking about modern sweatshops which are enforced by state law and treaty (where local govts basically don't allow laborers to unionize or collectively bargain), then yes it's bad for liberty. Like or not, if the market forces on the price of labor go one way only (where the employer gets to set a price, but the employee has no right to set his/her), then it's not a free market.

There are a lot more pro-union laws in the US than anti union laws. Besides, saying, "fuck you, I'm out." is negotiating your price. Now, you may not be in a good position to quit, but consequences are part of any choice or freedom.

How did this conversation get to be about the US?

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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #19 on: April 15, 2011, 02:36:05 AM »

If we're talking about modern sweatshops which are enforced by state law and treaty (where local govts basically don't allow laborers to unionize or collectively bargain), then yes it's bad for liberty. Like or not, if the market forces on the price of labor go one way only (where the employer gets to set a price, but the employee has no right to set his/her), then it's not a free market.

There are a lot more pro-union laws in the US than anti union laws. Besides, saying, "fuck you, I'm out." is negotiating your price. Now, you may not be in a good position to quit, but consequences are part of any choice or freedom.

When considering the loss of workers, in fact, many companies prefer to retain workers than lose them for the fact that it takes time to train new workers even for simple tasks (otherwise, they could use machines to do the same thing).
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velojym

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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #20 on: April 15, 2011, 06:24:25 PM »

*sigh*

If working in a sweatshop is better, in your opinion, than your alternatives, then go for it and figure out a way to rise above it. Otherwise, don't even apply. Agreeing to work for someone, then forcing them to change the terms to suit you is no better than theft. If a company enjoys government protection, as a corporation, then that will naturally stifle potential competitors who may have offered a better deal for the work. There's more than one evil here, ya know.

A sweatshop in a free economy would likely produce lower quality goods, while incentivizing their best help to go out looking for better work. In this day and age, though, folks are too lazy, and would rather have a large organization with a lot of gun-toting goons force the employer to immolate himself on the altar of the proletariat.
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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #21 on: April 15, 2011, 06:35:34 PM »

In China, many sweatshops are Chinese created by small firms. In fact, many of the workers are family members, so these are sorta homegrown enterprises. The larger corporate operations in the Special Economic Zones pay more, have better benefits, and adhere to EU labor standards if they happen to be HQ'd in the EU (per EU law). It's quite interesting to see the contrast between large versus small firms in terms of menial labor and labor conditions in China as a test case.
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LTKoblinsky

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Re: Sweatshop labor, compatible with liberty?
« Reply #22 on: April 15, 2011, 06:48:27 PM »

If we're talking about modern sweatshops which are enforced by state law and treaty (where local govts basically don't allow laborers to unionize or collectively bargain), then yes it's bad for liberty. Like or not, if the market forces on the price of labor go one way only (where the employer gets to set a price, but the employee has no right to set his/her), then it's not a free market.

There are a lot more pro-union laws in the US than anti union laws. Besides, saying, "fuck you, I'm out." is negotiating your price. Now, you may not be in a good position to quit, but consequences are part of any choice or freedom.

I added "in the US" just in case I was off point.  The rest of my post is still valid.
How did this conversation get to be about the US?
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