OXFAM REPORT
I have just read ‘The Oxfam report Offside!’ and thought about what I can do as a designer.
The horrible conditions that exploited workers have to live with is unacceptable, the problem with fixing this however is that organisations like Oxfam try and attack the exploiter who has no good reason to change what they are doing. Energies and attacks would be better directed to a third party auditor such as the governments who should empower there people with simple human rights and fair working conditions. Internal, external and secret auditors should also be employed, if a company knows it’s being watched it would be far likelier that it do the right thing. The best thing a designer can do is ensure that the companies and suppliers they deal with are treating all their employers fairly and that they have the rights to form unions to look after themselves, also that you deal with a country whose government is protecting its people.
