Thailand/ Barbie

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1. Why do you think that multinational corporations, like Mattel, subcontractother companies to manufacture products for them in Third World nations?

Many companies like to manufacture products or parts of products in third world nations because they do not have to follow all the regulations like they fallow in developed nations. Companies wont have to pay an average wage to their employee like some companies pay in the U.S. In the article "Barbie Sweatshops (2005)" says in Thailand," the workers are required to work 12 hours every day, and are paid only five dollars per day". Also companies wouldn't have to give vacations, no sick days allowed and no rights for the workers. They dont have to worry about environmental pollution and workers health. For example 75%!o(MISSING)f the workers had respiratory infections that came from inhaling dust...... Workers were allowed to wear a mask; however, they first had to buy it. But with the $4 a day salary, most simply couldn't afford the protections (Barbie Sweatshops (2005)." This shows that companies wont have to spend money to buy safety tools for the workers.

2. According to the article, why are workers rights and protections so weak (or non- existent) in developing nations like Thailand?

Workers right and protections so weak in developing nations like Thailand because not having the strict laws like the developed nations have. For example " The government was concerned that if the Thai workers' unions rose against these multinational companies, they would move their factroed into other developed countries. As a result, the country's gross domestic product would decline. Since the Thai economy and GDP benefited from these companies, unemployment would rise dramatically and there would be a massive relocation of jobs if the corporations were required to comply with government regulations that protected workers rights (Barbie Sweatshops 2005)." Means that by commanding workers rights, government did not want to hurt its own economy.

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