Employee and Labour Relations

This document is a discussion between two students about employee and labour relations. They discuss the issues related to sweatshops and the exploitation of workers. They also talk about the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire of 1911 and the need for safeguards to protect workers. The document includes references to support their arguments.

Running head: EMPLOYEE AND LABOUR RELATIONS
EMPLOYEE AND LABOUR RELATIONS
Student Name
University Name
Author note

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Reply to student 1:
I really enjoyed reading your post and want to congratulate you on your well thought out
comment. You have really raised good points and stated your points clearly. I agree with you that
there are still many companies around that do not want to raise their minimum wage. They
provide wage to the workers as per what is convenient for them (Lung, 2002). The term
“Sweating system”, “Sweatshop” has been well described in your points. I agree on the point
that the work environment of the sweatshops was terrific and the employees worked under harsh
conditions and situations with lower wages and salaries. Every employee was exploited and they
sweat because they made them work like slaves and exert pressure on them in hot, uncomfortable
climate. I truly agree on the point that immigrants have constituted much of garment industry and
the Italians made up majority of the industry’s exploited sector. It is true that even today the
immigrant workers are exploited by the boss and even today the small contractors are being
exploited by the large manufacturer and the retailers. Additionally, I would like to state that the
reason why sweatshops still exist today is because the westerners demand for low cost clothing
(Lam, 1992).
References
Lam, L. L. (1992). Designer duty: extending liability to manufacturers for violations of labor standards in
garment industry sweatshops. U. Pa. L. Rev., 141, 623.
Lung, S. (2002). Exploiting the Joint Employer Doctrine: Providing a Break for Sweatshop
Garment Workers. Loy. U. Chi. LJ, 34, 291.
Reply to student 2:
I really enjoyed reading your post and I truly agree on the points stated by you. The 1911
triangle Factory Fire is refers as the ‘perfect storm’ of occurrence. I strongly agree on the point
that the owners of the building were not knowledgeable, of the locked door management as a
deterrent to employee theft. In addition to that point, I would like to state, that the workplace
turned deathtrap were the results of pure negligence and not hostility (Behrens, 1983). It is very
true that in America there are safeguards to protect one against the mentality of traditional
sweatshops. However, in the foreign places there is no forward thinking enforcement for the
protection of the labors in those countries. There are various concerns apart from wage control;
there are employee theft as well which a concern remains. I agree with the measures that are
provided in your post that is encouraging the employees not to steal. It is true that the modern
sweatshops are still tantamount to slavery. I really liked what you had to say about working hard

2EMPLOYEE AND LABOUR RELATIONS
and in doing so, we will help the weak remembering the words of Lord Jesus Christ, “It is more
blessed to give than to receive”.
References
Behrens, E. G. (1983). Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire of 1911: A Lesson in Legislative
Manipulation. Tex. L. Rev., 62, 361.
Lanier Pence, P., Phillips Carson, P., Carson, K. D., Hamilton III, J. B., & Birkenmeier, B. (2003). And
all who jumped died: The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. Management Decision, 41(4), 407-421.