Conflict free but what about labour

[EncikG]

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www...surats-diamond-trade/article24378534.ece/amp/

“80 per cent of the total workforce earn a piece rate of ₹1 to ₹25 (usd$0.35) for each stone they polish and have no social benefits...”
“Vikram started polishing diamonds when he was 16...earned ₹6,000 ($85usd) a month, but we were a family of seven and the money was never enough,”

Some might even say it’s hard to find a conflict diamond these days but what about labour?
With up to 90% of diamonds cut and polished in Surat, are we supporting childhood labour and poor work conditions in a way..

 

[kmoro]

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www...surats-diamond-trade/article24378534.ece/amp/

“80 per cent of the total workforce earn a piece rate of ₹1 to ₹25 (usd$0.35) for each stone they polish and have no social benefits...”
“Vikram started polishing diamonds when he was 16...earned ₹6,000 ($85usd) a month, but we were a family of seven and the money was never enough,”

Some might even say it’s hard to find a conflict diamond these days but what about labour?
With up to 90% of diamonds cut and polished in Surat, are we supporting childhood labour and poor work conditions in a way..

That’s a tough one. The situation in Surat is much bigger than just the diamond industry. Basically, it’s diamond polishing or no job at all, which is why no one is complaining - they are so desperate for any job. This is reflective of social environment, not just the diamond industry, since there are no other competing jobs with better wages and benefits. As one person mentions, the suicides are in the diamond industry because that’s the prevalent industry - other industries in other places are doing and causing the same thing.

Quote from article:
“Dodiya dismissed a link between the deaths and work in the cases he investigated. “They didn't die because of the diamond business. There are more cases of diamond worker suicides because of their high numbers in this area,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“No diamond worker will die of starvation. They are paid on time, every month.”
Other police officers stationed in the area where diamond workers live in Surat did see a link between the suicide cases they investigated and diamond work.”

I think that even though those other police officers say they “see a link between the cases they investigated and diamond work,” the link is still caused “because of their higher numbers in this area.”

None of that takes away from the fact that people are suffering, they are getting paid nothing for their work in an industry that involves big dollars, and it’s completely shameful. Certainly something to think about.

I must admit that I feel a lot worse for supporting the industry in this moment. I can try to tell myself that an exploitive diamond industry job for these poor people is better than no job at all, but in this situation, why should it be one thing or the other? Maybe the only thing good about remaining involved in the industry is that we consumers can push for some change instead of walking away. If we’re not too lazy.

Sickening.

 

[EncikG]

Thanks for your reply and thoughts.

Just like retail clothing and sweat shops, I’m sure every industry has its dark secrets.

Some online vendors would promote their wares as a direct path from the rough, which you hope would mean better labour standards.
While it seems the norm that most stones are prompted as conflict free these days, perhaps in time, more will talk about the ethical standards in which the stones were made...

 

[OoohShiny]

I totally get the argument for increasing wages for workers at the bottom end of the chain (in any industry) but what happens if, say, you increased wages to $50/day? $100/day? Is it not the case that people would live like kings for a short while, but then housing / food / other prices would shoot up and suck up all that extra money because people can now charge more for goods and services themselves? Meaning those outside the now well-paying industry are even worse off because even the basics cost a lot more?

 

[EncikG]

what happens if, say, you increased wages to $50/day? $100/day? Is it not the case that people would live like kings for a short while, but then housing / food / other prices would shoot up and suck up all that extra money because people can now charge more for goods and services themselves?

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...ve-you-on-new-year-s-day-20181219-p50n8w.html

This often gets the run over New Years in Australia, McDonalds has to pay a worker $52/hr. With a relatively high wage system, I dun see the cost of bare essentials shooting up in Aus. (contrast that to $85usd/month)

There’s a difference between wanting to work and needing to work to survive. Guess there’s where the minimum wage comes in...

 

[kmoro]

I totally get the argument for increasing wages for workers at the bottom end of the chain (in any industry) but what happens if, say, you increased wages to $50/day? $100/day? Is it not the case that people would live like kings for a short while, but then housing / food / other prices would shoot up and suck up all that extra money because people can now charge more for goods and services themselves? Meaning those outside the now well-paying industry are even worse off because even the basics cost a lot more?

This is the general theory and makes mathematical sense ... I used to argue it a lot ... however the stats don’t back it up for some reason ... haven’t quite been able to figure that out. For example, for some reason, raising minimum wage does not seem to be a significant driver for inflation. All my business and economic models fall flat on their face, lol.

But even so, we’re not talking about the same economic problems as a first world nation. We’re talking about first world oppression at it’s finest. This is third world, so really they’re not so worried about rising prices as having something to buy and something to buy it with ... to have a self-sustaining economy at all. The first world has a vested interest in keeping the third world down ... we’re used to getting their money by taking all the profit. This is a type of poverty that is hard to comprehend. Take away the child labour and/or the slave labour and the family starves to death. What a choice.

 

[Johnbt]

https://retailjewellerindia.com/rj-...surat-diamond-hub-fears-2008-recession-repeat

It appears from this article that a lot of the stress is the result of one drastic wage cut after another - followed by layoffs.

"But last August, he was shocked to find that his salary of Rs 1.05 lakh has been slashed to Rs 68,000 — a cut of 35 per cent.

When Patel inquired, he learnt that the company owner had cut the salaries of all the employees. They were told that if they were not happy with the salary cut, they could quit. The employees, however, decided, to not protest.

In November again, the company slashed their salaries by another 20 per cent cut. When Patel got his salary on December 10, it was just Rs 54,000 — nearly half of what he got five months ago. The factory owners clearly told the employees that the business was not doing well as profit margins had reduced and Christmas sales were down."

 

[JPie]

Most of my jewelry purchases in the past year have been antiques, with some exceptions. That's part of the appeal of buying old stuff. I'm sure someone was exploited in the process, but if it happened over 100 years ago and I'm not contributing to exploitative conditions today, then that certainly eases guilt about it.