RIHLA #26

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A current event that was a prime example of human rights violation was the Cambodian factory collapse in Bangladesh. This particular Cambodian factory was responsible for the production of a Japanese sneaker called Asics, which is exported across Europe, Asia, and the United States. A few days ago the ceiling of this Cambodian factory collapsed and lead to the death of 2 workers and the severe injury of 7 others. An investigation after the event revealed that the factory was poorly built and lacked proper stabilization. Additionally, the families of those injured and dead are still awaiting some form of compensation for their loss. This factory collapse was a violation of human rights because according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to... just and favorable conditions of work..." Meaning, all workers are entitled to a safe, stable, and protected work environment. It is not just my opinion that this was a violation of the human rights of these worker because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an established publication documenting a world wide interpretation of human rights. In order to combat this human rights violation through labor conditions, we, as a world wide community, need to establish a minimum requirement for working conditions. And more importantly, we need to create a system for ensuring that these conditions are followed.

However, this will most likely not happen because greedy corporations love cheap labor (the cheaper the labor, the more money they save), and they will fight until the end to ensure that nothing changes.

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