Free Zones: Not Free at All

In my IB History of the Americas class, we were watching a movie entitled Life and Debt which focuses on the economic troubles of Jamaica and how America's perception of the country is not accurate. Something stood out particularly when we were watching this film. Jamaica has five "Free Zones", which are trade zones with no government. According to pajfz.com, "Within these Free Zones goods can be manufactured, warehoused, packaged for export, free from normal taxes, and free from normal customs and requirements." Sounds too good to be true? Well then, you have the eye of a philanthropist. According to Wikipedia, "The free zones have been criticized as United States-subsidized sweatshops." The movie Life and Debt introduces five workers of the Free Zone who work five eight hour days a week to make the minimum wage of just $30 a week. According to lifeanddebt.org, "Over 10,000 women currently work for foreign companies under sub-standard work conditions." The movie particularly featured the Hanes company...When the women have spoken out and attempted to organize to improve their wages and working conditions, they have been fired and their names included on a blacklist ensuring that they never work again." One of the companies that was featured in the movie was Hanes. The irony? According to Wikepedia, "HanesBrands has been recognized for work that it has done for the environment, including "green" buildings.The company also has been recognized for the work it has done in communities such as the support of schools in Honduras and its hurricane relief efforts in the Dominican Republic." Thus proving that it is always important to research where your clothing actually comes from. If you would like to learn more, watch Life and Debt! Especially if you have any interest in Jamaica and in economics. That's all for now.

Lanvin to Be Next Brand to Collaborate With H&M, What a Philanthropist Should Know About H&M

            Lanvin is the next designer to be teaming up with H&M to make beautiful clothes for a cost that won't make your wallet cry! The collection will hit H&M stores in North America on November 30th, and everywhere else three days after. If you, like I, can not wait that long, be on the lookout for a preview on www.hm.com on Nov. 1. H&M is one of my favorite stores, but the low prices and what seems to be decent quality product leaves me skeptical. Back in January of this year, H&M was caught in a scandalous action. Many clear trash bags were found outside the H&M in Manhattan that were full of their shredded and slashed clothes to make sure that they would be unwearable and unsellable. There were also reportedly bags and bags of hangers. Not only were these hangers not reused be the store, but they weren't even placed in recycle. An H&M representative spoke out and said, "“It will not happen again. We are committed 100 percent to make sure this practice is not happening anywhere else, as it is not our standard practice.” However, when the New York news station WPIX came back to the store to see if they were continuing the practice, and employee was reportedly hauling several trash bags filled with shoes to a truck, which he said was going to the trash. Perhaps in a response to the scandal, H&M released a Garden Collection, which was a collection made with "environmentally adapted materials" (http://hmthegardencollection.com). A website called http://chainstorereaction.com urges people to send e-mails to big name companies across the world in order for the company to send a response in which they report upon supplying companies that may perhaps involve slave trade or unfair labor. H&M was one of the few companies to send a response. "H&M does not accept forced labour and has banned it in our Code of Conduct. Furthermore we have developed guidelines for our suppliers on how to ensure that all workers are employed by their own free will, these guidelines include for example for the factories to develop policies and routines against forced labour that are clearly communicated to relevant personnel in the factory, for example regarding pay, advances, deductions etc, and precautions not to purchase any components produced by forced labour." Well, that's some good news, H&M fans! The whole response goes into much detail. To read it, please go to chainstorereaction.com. That's all for now.