Apparel related new around the world. Bangladesh-building-collapse

[Command-Z]

15 dollar jeans at Old Navy? Aren't they more like $30? Where is that money going? Stock market gamblers.

Math don't mean sheit until we know how much the CEOs get for bonuses for innovative ideas like "saving" on production by outsourcing to sweatshops in places like Bangladesh, where there ain't no unions or government regulations getting in the way of those little black lines on the big board meeting charts going up, and people are used to yummy chemicals in their drinking water, and too poor and powerless to complain about it.

You know some fancy-suit-wearing someone got a big treat for that move to that factory, and likely won't shed a tear for those who lost their lives. War profiteers call them "collateral damage." There's probably some fancy Six-Sigma-type term for them in the blue jeans trade.

Do these jeans make me look fat?

[blue moon]

as one of the few that actually lived outside the US/Canadia for a very long time and has been part of society that paid their PhD's about $100/month I'd like to chime in here.

1. what happened there is CRIMINAL behaviour, not business. Bank and the shopping mall were closed due to the cracks, it's the manufacturing that decided to stay open. The managers are going to be prosecuted for their decisions. It should be treated different from somebody structuring the company in unsafe and unethical way for the sake of increasing profit.
2.$39 per month could be a lot of money to the ppl working there. We don't really know that. From our perspective it is not worth the headache, but that amount of money probably buys them 2 meals a day and pays for the roof over the head. What is that in US, $1k/month? Do not judge their pay by the actual amount, but rather on what it buys and how it compares to the national average income. Chances are, ppl in those factories were making more than the average.
3. they need work in order to grow. If we took all our $$$ away from them, it would be very difficult to develop and grow. As they get better and time goes by, things will get better. Look at China, not too long ago, they were the place to go. Now they are getting expensive and are starting to stand on their own legs. Factories are getting cleaned up, workers are making more money and having better living standards. It has gotten to the point that many are leaving China for cheaper places. Eventually, in this global economy, the prices across the globe will level out and things will change.

Just to be make sure, the accident was an absolutely horrible event. Hundreds of ppl dying is a tragedy and the responsible individuals should suffer for it, but let's look at the big picture and let's not lump the criminals with the rest of the business owners. Instead of boycotting the places and reducing their ability to learn and grow, we should extend our hand and help them. As already mentioned, Rick Roth is heavily involved in good causes, both here in US and internationally. Rather than just talking about it, if you can't figure out a way to help, drop him a line and see if he has any suggestions. Chances are, he will.

pierre

[californiadreamin]

I hear ya blue moon!
I too have worked in many third world countries. Installing / moving machines from 50' belt printing lines, presses etc.
I have witnessed first hand people lifting these machine with cranes to upper levels of "out of code" construction.
I have worked in production of companies producing 3 million plus a month.
Bangladesh has always had a garment industry!
5 years ago not so much, as today which is exploding!
Big companies have been moving their production, because, they are the "cheapest labor today".
Tomorrow Sub-Sahara Africa or Haiti at 11cents per hour.
Many whom own and operate these  facilities know that they are only as good as their last "atta boy".
In these high density cities that go vertical, with sub standard construction, which "kinda works" until the factories
start overloading buildings with Machinery, supplies in container quanity shipments (up to 80,000 lbs of ink per container
with a footprint of 8' x40') or like my last MHM 16/18  with 8000 lbs on a 4' x 6' foot print.  Or containers of garments stacked
with pallets, lined up like Christmas trees. These facilities that take on this new load of work are shifting from manual tables to
machinery. No big deal if load calculations on per square foot rules are observed. On main floor levels, no problem! Since some
of these companies don't know how long their "good luck"" will last, OR they fail to properly plan for growth in this "new world
market". Remember these companies, had their product being produced in another country, not long ago, and these new
 companies know very well that their commitment with the work being sourced is competitive. Very few companies enter into
 long term contracts. A lot of the factory owners don't honestly know, and some just don't care. With out some type of "loyalty" 
 in the garment industry (oxymoran) This cycle will repeat it self over and over again. I remember seeing where a die cutting
machine fell through three stories on a building in one of these countries. Whose fault was it? The building owner, the shop
owner, the poor press man, the salesman who sold the cutter, (who did not know the weight), the code enforcer, or the company outsourcing the job. You can bet the insurance company will blame them all, and say we are so sorry but......
winston

[royster13]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/world/asia/bangladesh-us-tshirt/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

[inkman996]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/world/asia/bangladesh-us-tshirt/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Thats a CNN opinion from a source that who knows if they are correct or way off on their estimate. I do not doubt it would cost more to make in the US for obvious reasons but I would prefer hearing from actual garment manufactures based in the US how much a comparable item would cost to make.

[Command-Z]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/world/asia/bangladesh-us-tshirt/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

What about transportation cost? In addition to trucking the product to every state in the USA, there's the added cost of shipping the raw materials to and the finished garments from Bangladesh. On ships. Big ones, for great distances, by shipping companies that are also foreign.

[royster13]

The bottom line is market determines what we in business get to sell.....I still quote Canadian Made tees from time to time but have not sold any in years...

[californiadreamin]

I hear ya blue moon!
I too have worked in many third world countries. Installing / moving machines from 50' belt printing lines, presses etc.
I have witnessed first hand people lifting these machine with cranes to upper levels of "out of code" construction.
I have worked in production of companies producing 3 million plus a month.
Bangladesh has always had a garment industry!
5 years ago not so much, as today which is exploding!
Big companies have been moving their production, because, they are the "cheapest labor today".
Tomorrow Sub-Sahara Africa or Haiti at 11cents per hour.
Many whom own and operate these  facilities know that they are only as good as their last "atta boy".
In these high density cities that go vertical, with sub standard construction, which "kinda works" until the factories
start overloading buildings with Machinery, supplies in container quanity shipments (up to 80,000 lbs of ink per container
with a footprint of 8' x40') or like my last MHM 16/18  with 8000 lbs on a 4' x 6' foot print.  Or containers of garments stacked
with pallets, lined up like Christmas trees. These facilities that take on this new load of work are shifting from manual tables to
machinery. No big deal if load calculations on per square foot rules are observed. On main floor levels, no problem! Since some
of these companies don't know how long their "good luck"" will last, OR they fail to properly plan for growth in this "new world
market". Remember these companies, had their product being produced in another country, not long ago, and these new
 companies know very well that their commitment with the work being sourced is competitive. Very few companies enter into
 long term contracts. A lot of the factory owners don't honestly know, and some just don't care. With out some type of "loyalty" 
 in the garment industry (oxymoran) This cycle will repeat it self over and over again. I remember seeing where a die cutting
machine fell through three stories on a building in one of these countries. Whose fault was it? The building owner, the shop
owner, the poor press man, the salesman who sold the cutter, (who did not know the weight), the code enforcer, or the company outsourcing the job. You can bet the insurance company will blame them all, and say we are so sorry but......
winston

As of Today, over 600 have lost their lives.
It looks like "first call" is that the vibration of heavy equipment followed by shoddy
materials and construction are to blame. Building was designed/built in 2004. Architects
said use of building was designed/permitted as a perdestrian mall, and the even the
first floor was not designed for ANY industrial uses. One of the problems that I have seen
first hand, is that most of these people in these countries, have ANY experience with "heavy
industrial equipment" , let alone the installation requirements, operation, and how to
maintain the said machines. In this instance, this was a disaster waiting to happen. It
could have been avoided. Lets not let it happen again!
winston