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More than 25 million people in developing countries work in export processing zones, where goods are mass-produced, wages are usually low and human rights are not always respected.
Part #1:
1. What is an Export Processing Zone
2. What is a sweatshop
Part #2: "Mickey Mouse goes to Haiti"
In the late 1990’s, the CEO of Disney was making $9 783 per hour. A Haitian worker making Disney products made 28 cents an hour. How long would it take one worker, working a 40 hour week to make what the CEO earned in one hour?
Part #3:
Pretend you are a leader of a company who has factories in Canada, The United States and Spain. The following chart lists the average salaries and number of employees you have working for you:
Country: | Ave. Salary: | Number of Workers: | Total Cost: |
Canada | $11.42 | 800 |
|
United States | $10.56 | 1450 |
|
Spain | $12.45 | 760 |
|
Imagine you fired ALL of your staff, closed the factories and opened a factory in an export processing zone, paying the same number of workers 40 cents an hour. How much would you spend on the new labour? How much would you save?
Part #4: Please post your answer to at least one of these questions:
1. Do Export Processing Zones exist in your country?
2. What is the impact of this policy on the people living there?
3. How do you feel about this issue?
4. What questions do you now have about EPZ's?
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