Sweatshops
Have you heard of sweatshops before? What do you know?
What do you know about companies using cheap workers in China?
A hot potato issue these days is the use of exploited labor in places like Shenzhen China to build our favorite electronic consumer devices such as smart phones. The problem is that to keep products competitive, companies like Samsung and Apple get their products assembled using cheap labor in China and other places. That might seem okay, except we are hearing about terrible working conditions for factory workers: working days that are longer than 12 hours, under-aged workers, unkind bosses, injured workers who receive no compensation, and more. In our countries, that once had these working conditions, it would be national news, we would have unionized workers striking. However, in places such as Shenzhen, unions are illegal and if a worker makes a noise about their conditions then they will be blacklisted for being a troublemaker so that they cannot work at other factories. This means they can no longer have a job. How much longer can these sweatshops continue? Now that it has the possibility to make big companies such as Apple be looked at in a bad light, then maybe something will be done about this situation
Guessing meaning from context
Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. The answers are below the table.
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something that is talked about a lot at the moment |
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keep a record about someone/an organization to not use them |
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a factory where people do physical work for long hours for small payment |
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bad reputation, think of something or someone in a bad way |
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to use someone who is weaker for our own advantage. To use resources/things |
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A=2, B=6, C=1, D=7, E=3, F=4, G=5
Some example sentences using the new words to help you to better understand their meaning.
1. Dokdo has been a hot potato issue with Japan for a long time
2. Nike in Indonesia had a similar problem with Apple because they were accused of exploiting cheap workers.
3. The compensation from my new job was much better.
4. Sometimes customers need to make a noise if they want big companies to listen to their anger.
5. Last year some universities in Korea were blacklisted by the Korean Education Ministry because of bad educational standards.
6. Many illegal workers will work in sweatshops making cheap clothing because they need to feed their poor families.
7. Apple wants to improve its image because if their products are made in sweatshops then customers will look at them in a bad light. |
Some discussion questions using the new words to help you better understand the word meaning and how to use them correctly. Try to use the words in your answer.
1. Why do you feel that sweatshops in China are suddenly a hot potato issue in the world?
2. Do you agree that the workers in China are exploited? Some say that they don't have to work in these factories.
3. Would you pay another $20 for your favorite smartphone so that workers could be compensated better?
4. What issues are Korean people making a noise about these days?
5. Do you think it is fair that these workers are blacklisted by bad factory owners? What should happen?
6. Now that you know about sweatshops, do you look at companies like Apple in a bad light? Or do you look at the Chinese government in a bad light? Why? |
ECK Education
