Human Trafficking

H&M employees often work under critical conditions. Some employees are forced to work over time with no increase in their payments. They often work in sweatshop conditions. Employees get no breaks and work under unsanitary environments which makes them prone to illnesses.

In 1992, Jeff Ballinger published the story of a child in Indonesia working in disgusting conditions. The children received approximately 14 cents an hour. Global outrage at Nike conditions in its factories led to widespread boycotts and visible protests at events like the Olympics. By the late 1990s Nike admitted its labor practices were a problem and started making real changes, including publishing public reports about conditions in its factories. But things are not at all perfect. In the 2000s workers in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries reported abuse, wage theft, and terrible living and working conditions. A new wave of protests have started to force Nike to keep its promises on free labor.

This one might come as a surprise, mainly because it's probably the device that many of us hold in our hands. Many of the people working in the factories to produce APPLE products are underage children. In 2010, The Telegraph reported that 62 workers in one factory were poisoned with n-hexane gas, and that number grew to 137 by 2011. Exposure to this gas caused macular degeneration and blurred eye sight. Another employee was later beaten and later committed suicide after he was caught stealing a part for a new Apple product. This fall, in order to get enough iPhone Xs to people, an APPLE factory forced high school students to work 11 hour days as "work experience" required for graduation.