Child labour was viewed as a vice in our societies. Recent research has brought to the light the fact that child labour is rampant even at this time that we consider ourselves to be a civilized race. A study conducted in 2006 revealed that this vice exist in some parts of the world. In particular was the case that children were made to work for major American companies in Bangladesh. According to a report by the National Labor Committee, the companies involved were Hanes, Puma, Wall-Mart and J.C Penney. The author of the report held that 11-year-old and even younger kids worked for the said companies (p, 2). The report was a follow-up to the initial report that was conducted ten years earlier. It was a surprise that even decades after the report were published, and child labour had doubled.
That the children were oppressed while working was without a doubt factual as it would be deduced from the study mentioned exceeding. Most the children fall due to exhaustion (p, 2). Some of the children were obliged to work more than 19 hours during night shifts. To add insult on injury, the children efforts were not rewarded handsomely although they were not supposed to be in labour in the first place. The going wage rate was 6.5 cents an hour. The children were forced to work and was oppressed in the process.
Deontology
Deontology is an ethical principle that focuses mainly on the actions of people. It relates more to the actions being right or wrong rather than the consequences that arise from the action being taken. According to the article on basics of philosophy under the section on deontology, the author argues out that a deontologist judges a situation to be right or bad by first looking at the action that brought about the situation. If according to the deontologist the action was wrong then the situation is dangerous. The article brings out the fact that to a deontologist what is right was considered that what is good. (P, 1). In whichever way the situation is, the action that resulted in the situation is the one taken into account. A situation may be good, but the work that related to it was the wrong one.
Deontology and the Bangladesh child labour case
The children were oppressed, some of the respondents interviewed in the research conducted by The National Labor committee, lamented of how they worked for so many hours and also were assaulted in the process. Some were exhausted to the point where they fell down. Assuming that in place of the children there were legalized workers, the situation is still dangerous. The employer is supposed to provide workers with a healthy working environment. The workers are expected to work with a minimum of 8hrs a day, and any work done after the required should attract additional pay. To make matters worse, if the children do not reach the required targets that physically assaulted something that would not happen to a qualified workforce. One can argue out that the employers take advantage of the fact that the workers are children are most of them are desperate for the 6.5 cents per hour that they get. The action of beating up employees is wrong. If the employee doesn't meet the required target, an employer has the right to fire an employee. But when things get physical, then that is unethical. By considering the fact the above cases relate to underage, one can automatically start that it is very wrong.
Work cited
Kernaghan Charles. Child labor is back. Children are again sewing clothing for major U.S. companies. The National Labor Committee report. 2006. www.globallabourrights.org
Luke Mastin THE BASICS OF PHILOSOPHY. Deontology. 2008. www.philosphybasics.com>bybranch>doctrine>ethics
