Wow,
sounds like I should run a page on the Pushback web site on these issues. If
anyone has any inputs, views or links on the exploitation of people in the
electronics industry either through mining, cheap labor practices, or
working environments (such as e-waste "recycling" dumps, please send the
links to me at rohsusa.com and I will put a page up there.
Maybe we need to "push back" harder in these areas to get these practices
stopped - and lets face it, we all know that these things can be stopped -
it is just a matter of refusing as an industry to do business with the
people causing the problem.
The tin industry actually has council meetings about these issues - which is
a positive thing. Maybe if it were a little more open about them it would
help to stop these practices.
Similarly, If you look at the e-waste "recycling facilities" that I linked a
few weeks ago on the Greenpeace website, they are no more than glorified
rubbish dumps where people are trying to scrape a very hazardous living by
recycling the parts using primitive means.
It can be done differently - the first step in the process is to highlight
the issue and make it public. Once it is public, it is under a microscope.
Being under a microscope reduces the desire of the "industry" to do business
with the people exploiting the local people where the tin is being mined/the
electronics re-cycled etc.
Will this stop the tin mining or recycling? - well no but one would hope
that it could move forward under the control (In terms of safety, payment,
and working conditions) of a tin industry oversight committee, and the same
is true of re-cycling, because if there wasn't a recycling industry
management committee a few years ago, I can guarantee there is one now with
all of those recycling fees being paid into escrow accounts in the WEEE
scheme.
Anyway, I started this link to highlight the effect of one aspect of lead
reduction in solder I believe I have achieved that, so I suggest that if you
want a public link page up for these issues send me an email at
[log in to unmask] or link up on your next visit to the pushback web site
http://www.rohsusa.com
One thing I do know - if we don't change things they will remain pretty much
the same. I believe together we CAN change things, and I also believe that
entropy works, so sometimes achieving change is an uphill struggle, but if
it is worth doing, to quote a famous advertisement - JUST DO IT!
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Clif Brick
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 1:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] NTC BUT- Tin industry appears to have some serious supply
chain exploitation issues
I have to comment on the use of the word "coercion". What constitutes
coercion?
If your family is barely making a living, and you have the "opportunity"
to go digging a hole and crawling into it, in search of pennies to save
your starving family, risking being suffocated, drowned and/or crushed
to death, all the while poisoning the very land you could barely live
off of before you took this "opportunity", so that you have hope of a
better life, isn't that the very essence of coercion. Your family is in
jeopardy, someone deceptively offers a better life, you buy into the
deception. The coal mining companies in Appalachia did the same thing,
and it amounted to slavery not opportunity.
There's a vast desparity between "underpaid" and paid so little that you
can barely survive.
One can paint the story anyway one likes, but it doesn't change the
truth.
Clif
-----Original Message-----
From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charles Dolci
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 11:25 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] NTC BUT- Tin industry appears to have some serious
supply chain exploitation issues
John:
Thanks, that helps, but I am still confused.
What is wrong with the situation described in the first definition (to
make productive use of)? Wouldn't that fit all of us (except those who
are unemployed)? I am quit happy that a number of employers over time
have chosen to exploit my talents (limited though they may be). It
provided me with a comfortable living. Who is against that kind of
exploitation?
I still have problems with the second definition, however. What is
"meanly or unjustly"? What is the standard by which one measures such
things and who decides what is mean and unjust? Do we let the people of
this forum decide or do we let the parties to the employment contract
decide what is "mean or unjust"? Let's take the example you use (i.e.
migrant farmworkers).
Do these migrant farmworkers consciously leave their home country,
enter the US illegally at risk to themselves in order to be "meanly and
unjustly" exploited. If they do then they aren't very smart people, are
they.
I think I may be a dying breed in California. I am the only homeowner
who still mows his own lawn. Everyone I know (I am the only one on my
block that does not) uses a "landscaping" service. Why, because it is so
darn cheap, Why is it so darn cheap - because these workers are all
illegals and are "being exploited" per the definition provided by John.
If we were to stop "exploiting" these workers would be priced out of
the market and everyone would go back to mowing their own lawns or, as
had been done for generations, paying a neighborhood kid to do it.
These workers would then be forced to move back to their home countries
- and, presumably, would be better off because they would no longer be
"meanly and unjustly" exploited. I think that is what all the protest
in the US were about last week, they all wanted to be allowed to go back
home so they could stop being exploited.
In anticipation of some of the responses I am going to get on this, I
would like to hear from any member of this forum who thinks he or she is
being overpaid for the work he or she is doing. In other words, don't
we all think that we are being underpaid and are worth more than we are
getting from our employer? I would like anyone who has ever turned down
a raise to let us all know.
As far as the "use .... for one's own advantage" - well, isn't that what
employment is all about? Except for those who work for government
agencies, isn't it the intention of all employers to gain advantage from
the labor of their workers? An employer pays a worker $5.00 an hour
fully expecting to get at least $5.00 worth of output from that worker.
Otherwise what is the point? How long will one be in business if he has
to pay workers $6.00 an hour but gets only $5.00 of output?
If both parties, without coercion, enter into an employment contract
then, by definition, it can not be "mean or unjust". Would the buyer of
labor like to pay less and get more - sure. Would the seller of labor
like to get paid more and work less - absolutely. That is true for all
of us. But the bigger issue is who decides what is a just and proper
value for an individual's labor? The parties who have to live with the
consequences of the decision or someone ten thousand miles away
(literally and figuratively) who doesn't have to bear the consequences
of that decision?
Another example, and then I will shut up. A few years ago I decided to
build a new home on some property I owned. I hired a guy with a big
piece of heavy equipment and in a few hours the old house was
demolished and the lot was cleared. As I write this a fellow down the
street is doing the same thing. At first I was confused, because he had
illegal immigrants swarming all over the old house. I couldn't figure
out if he was just removing the roof to add a second floor or what.
However, over the course of a week or so it was apparent that he was
completely demolishing the house piece by piece, using cheap labor (ie.
the illegal immigrants) instead of capital (i.e. the heavy equipment).
Obviously, it was now cheaper to use (i.e. exploit) cheap labor than to
use (i.e. utilize) heavy equipment and the equipment operator. I did
not "exploit" cheap labor, my neighbor did. If we ask the laborers which
situation is better for them what would their answer be?
Chuck D.
>
>1 : to make productive use of : UTILIZE <exploiting your talents>
><exploit your opponent's weakness>
>
>2 : to make use of meanly or unjustly for one's own advantage
><exploiting migrant farm workers>
>
>- ex*ploit*able /-'sploi-t&-b&l/ adjective
>
>- ex*ploit*er noun
>
>Kind regards,
>
>John
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leadfree on behalf of Charles Dolci
> Sent: Fri 5/5/2006 11:27 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Cc:
> Subject: Re: [LF] NTC BUT- Tin industry appears to have some
> serious supply chain exploitation issues
>
>
>
> Initially I was not going to reply to this post because I
couldn't
> figure out how it relates to "lead-free". But since others
replied I
> guess I will, too. However, I need to have a term defined.
>
> The post includes the terms "no human exploitation" and
"exploitation
> of people". I am not sure what these terms mean, so a clear and
precise
> definition would be appreciated so that we can identify this
unfortunate
> practice when it takes place.
> John, can you provide us with a clear definition of what these
things are?
>
> Chuck Dolci.
>
> John Burke wrote:
>
> >Hi everyone,
> >
> >
> >
> >I was just sent a report (which made me very angry - a somewhat
unusual
> >condition) that states that there is continuing and increasing
> >exploitation of cheap labor under appalling conditions to
supply the
> >increased tin requirements in electronics. This report
specifically
> >targets Africa
> >
> >
> >
> >The report has quotes from several of the solder companies
decrying the
> >practice, BUT the tin industry HAS a research facility. Perhaps
it is
> >time to call for a couple of urgent research action items:
> >
> >
> >
> >1 Research and tighten up the supply chain
to stop
> >the exploitation of people.
> >
> >2 Research and tighten the supply chain to
stop
> >purchase of illegally mined raw materials which currently is
having to
> >massive eco-system impacts.
> >
> >
> >
> >Not too put too fine a point on it - if Starbucks can guarantee
where
> >it's coffees come from, and KNOW what prices were paid to the
goods
> >producers....................why can't the tin industry the
logistics
> >are very similar.
> >
> >
> >
> >And while writing, as an industry we have intensive detailed
labeling
> >requirements for lead-free products. How about a labeling
system for
> >solder packaging that guarantees "no human exploitation" and
"no
> >eco-system destruction"?
> >
> >
> >
> >Take a look. I have linked the report from the home page menu
at
> >Pushback <http://rohsusa.com/> hit the "Tin Industry issues"
button
> >option and if you have comments please use the "contact us"
button on
> >the web site.
> >
> >
> >
> >John
> >
> >
>
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