Ethical Issues in Ball Production

This assignment delves into the ethical dilemmas surrounding the production of soccer balls in Sialkot, Pakistan. It highlights issues such as exploitative working conditions, low wages, child labor, and gender inequality within factories. The text argues that universal human rights, particularly articles 23 and 24, are crucial to protect workers' well-being and ensure fair compensation. The assignment concludes by emphasizing the need for greater corporate responsibility and ethical practices within the ball production industry.

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Bala Sports
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How globalization is affecting Bala Sport
Globalization has led to companies complying with both safety and regulation standards
with regards to the production of goods and services. Based on the visits to some of the factories
tasked with producing balls under Fairtrade agreements it is crystal clear of the positive effect
globalization can have on businesses. For instance, the four companies that were visited had fire
extinguishers and fire exit points, notices on health and safety, adequate ventilation and all items
that one would expect to find in a UK firm. The employees even had face masks and eye google
that served as protection.
Policies such as those by Scottish Football Association an organization governing
Scottish football have made companies such as Bala Sports pay 10% premium on the cost of
manufacturing. Such an incentive is to be used to empower families of the workers to access
both healthcare and education. The group has taken a mile further by selling thousands of balls
around the country despite the fact there were only 80 Fairtrade balls when he began in the entire
region of UK. Coull remarks that it has been difficult to create demand for balls. Most of the
orders to supply the balls come from schools and consumers that conscious driven on Bala’s
website. However, Fairtrade tea and coffee with coffee serving as the mainstream sports vendors
have become reluctant to stock their shops with balls.
However, with globalization, there has been penetration of cheap footballs in the market
making the price of such ball s deteriorate. Coull has termed the most significant problems and
worries as that of being of the price. He gives a narrative where large chain stores sell balls at
less than $7, and he asserts that he is not going to compete with such products since the workers

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who suffer most are the men and women who manufacture the balls. The fact that most of the
customers that walk in such stalls are only after footballs such as those from Nike or Mitre
products and fail to explain what Fairtrade is about. The wrong perception that anything
associated with Fairtrade is crap also affects sales made through Bala sport. With people thinking
that such products as those produced by Fairtrade not being good are annoying since the samples
are tested to suit the professional standards by Fifa (Duffy, 2015).The lack of sound deals with
primary retail distributors has been a significant setback with the crowdfunding campaigns
enabling the business to expand while being loyal to its values.
Should Bala Sport consider the human rights of workers making football
Based on article 23, all people irrespective of where they come from have a right to work
and choose employment of their kind and are entitled to just and conducive working conditions
and also being protected from the pangs of unemployment. It is even stipulating that people
should be subjected to equal pay for equal work done. Having equal rights with regards to
reasonable remuneration to cater for his family considered worthy of human dignity
complemented by social protection. Employees also have a right to be members of trade unions
to ensure that their interests are protected. Article 24 goes further stipulating that it is mandatory
that all people have a right to rest and leisure and that entails logical limitation of working hours
and alternate leaves accompanied by pay.
Everyone is entitled to an education. Based on article 26, it is the right of the state to
ensure that education remains free in both fundamental and elementary levels. In this case,
primary education is to stay mandatory. On the other hand, education entailing technical and
professional literacy should remain generally accessible and available, with higher education
being possible based on excellence.

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It is shocking and striking to find that some factories more so those not under Fairtrade
agreements were situated in underground basements of buildings where the only ventilation was
in the holes of ceiling even though most players who earn millions annually together with the
regulatory bodies had a moral duty of promoting and protecting underpaid workers.
The clause also states that employees be subjected to equal pay for equal work. However,
this is not and has not been the case in a place such as Sialkot. Women in this place get
underpaid more so those working far from the main centers under the pretext that they produce
poor quality balls even though they have been working in this industry for more than six years.
Thus, Bala Sport has a gap to fill in ensuring that such women are paid well for the work they do.
Article 26 talks about the universal right to education for all. Sialkot has become a victim
of child labor where children sabotage education at the expense of work. Such children get
recruited in stitching football units to supplement the income of their beloved families. The lack
of ratification of some of the conventions protecting children considered minors from work is
striking in a place like Sialkot. Even with the many interventions from the relevant stakeholders,
the practice of child labor continues to itch a place like Sialkot and children enrolment in schools
continues to decline.
However, with companies such as Bala Sports interventions, it may help improve
education for children by ensuring no children get recruited in places of work by implementing
stringent measures for those found violating such rights. Bala Sport may also initiate programs
aimed at supporting education for the workers by giving a decent pay which will make sure that
families are satisfied with their pay.
The advantages and disadvantages of sourcing football from Sialkot by Bala Sports

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Sourcing football from Sialkot will lead to the rise of subcontractors who have been
associated with withholding wages from women under the pretext that such women produce
inferior products. Such women have been stitching footballs for the past five years, and thus it
will be illogical to assume that such women are incapable of manufacturing quality footballs.
Also, such sourcing could lead to a power imbalance where women working from homes are
obliged to take lower wages. It becomes impossible for women to turn to other employers more
so after a woman receives an advance from a subcontractor as there is an informal code that
prohibits her from taking work form another employer. Thus, continuing to employ women to
stitch the balls means that job supply remains high while the wages remain low. Subcontractors
keep paying deteriorating remunerations providing manufacturers a chance to pay low wages to
the workers. Based on the past experiences, it has been found that the price paid for footballs will
be lower in villages that are far from the primary production units compared to those that are
located in proximity.
Sourcing such balls from the suppliers mean job creation to the many deprived
individuals who are unemployed. When there is high demand for the balls, it means that footballs
have to be manufactured to match the demand by Bala sport. Considering that Sialkot is one of
the largest industrial parks in Pakistan as it has a population of more than half a million people.
Such sourcing will be a relief in Sialkot as it means that more jobs and less unemployment.
The fear of child labor may resurface.
With a gross population of 40 million children of age between 5 and 14, Pakistan has
approximately more than three million children working as workers. This is although the country
has failed in the past to have the Convention on children’s rights ratified including the five out of
seven with the inclusion of one that forbade child labor under the age of 14. Children are

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compelled to work to add to the income of their families. The necessity to have children add to
the income of their families continues to increase while the purchasing power of families
continues to dwindle. Based on the past reports, it was estimated that children involved in
stitching footballs contributed more than 20% to the income of the households. With such
sourcing, such a problem that had been curbed may resurface.
One of the two human rights and one ethical theory
It is before the Atlanta Agreement that balls were initially stitched at home where women
and girls are discriminated regarding job opportunities. The stitching of balls does not require
special equipment, and for this reason, it is regarded as an alternative to other types of work.
However, the main disadvantage of this work is the poor wages compared to different job types.
However, based on article 23 of the United Nations, all employees are entitled to work at any
place they choose in any work that appeals to them. This also means that they are subjected to
good working conditions.it is sad and devastating to find that some of the factories used as
stitching firms for balls are basements of buildings with poor or no ventilation making it not
conducive for the workers. Thus, Bala sport is obliged to allow such rights to the employees in
the football industry that continue being subjected to poor working conditions.
The concept regarding ethics in workplace environments continues being ignored making
many workers suffer while good quality products are being produced. This raises the question of
whether such goods were ethically produced. Take a case of Sialkot one of the industrial centers
associated with producing balls for international markets for prominent brands such as Nike that
have a global reputation. Sialkot has appeared in the limelight as one controversial center where
there are unscrupulous subcontractors who exploit workers particularly the women. The women
who work away from production units are paid less yet they deliver quality balls. Such women

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are given advances which deny them from working for other better contractors. Such issues raise
the question as to whether such produced are ethically produced. The poor working conditions
where workers work with no protective gear and special eye protectors is a concern as evidenced
in other production units. The controversial cases of instances where children considered minors
work in the production of balls are also unethical. Such children work to complement the meager
pay their families make. It not surprising that when footballers are earning hefty sums annually
the very people that make the balls that have made players rich languish in abject poverty. It
would be better if the employees in Sialkot stitching units get a decent pay based on the quality
balls that they produce.
The lack of equality and balance in employment opportunities is devastating. There are
more men than women working in the ball production units in places such as Sialkot. Such
women do the same work as the men in such factories yet when it comes to payment; they
receive meager wages. There is even a scheme that has been set where women working away
from production units get less pay as it is argued that such women produce poor quality balls.
This is contrary to what the universal right article 23 that all people regardless of sex should have
equal pay for equal work done. The article advocates for women in such environments getting
decent pay just like their male counterparts. The general condition of poor wages for workers in
ball production units is little which means making a decent for such families is a problem. With
such low wages, it means affording basic needs such as adequate healthcare regarding
medication.
In conclusion, it is apparent that universal human rights such as article 23 and 24
respectively that protect workers from harsh working conditions and poor pays and also right to
education are essential in places such as Sialkot where workers continue being exploited yet they

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provide high-quality products in international markets. However, with companies such as Bala
Sport that is conscious of the rights of employees, the violation of such rights may be
streamlined.

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References
Duffy, O., 2015. Scottish co-op launches Fairtrade football campaign. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/scotland-blog/2015/jul/27/scottish-co-op-
launches-fairtrade-football-campaign
[Accessed 20 September 2018].
Human Rights, 2012. Child labour. [Online]
Available at: https://hrbdf.org/dilemmas/child-labour/#.Wh6ialWWbIU
[Accessed 20 September 2018].
Hussain-Khaliq, S., 2004. Eliminating Child Labour from the Sialkot Soccer Ball Industry.
Journal of Corporate Citizenship, pp. 101-107.
Poos, S., n.d. Sialkot - Pakistan The football industry From Child Lab. [Online]
Available at: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=2125&context=globaldocs
[Accessed 20 September 2018].
Tapiola, K., Umemoto, S. H. & Soofi, K., 2013. Atlanta Agreement. [Online]
Available at: http://www.imacpak.org/atlanta.htm
[Accessed 20 September 2018].