The “Artisanal Mining” sector relates very well to the reading and research I’ve done on business ethics in preparation for class 3. In the article “A deadly grind” by Geoffrey York, the working conditions of these mines are described in horrifying detail. About 15-20 million people, including children, work in these mines worldwide. Sickness, and many injuries are common in this line of work. The people working in these mines are almost forced out of necessity, because of their severe poverty. Many of the workers interviewed for this piece voice their displeasure, for example “We cough from the dust, and our bones are in pain, we’re working in these bad conditions because we have nothing else. We’re fighting for our life.” These miners are also paid very little for their hard and treacherous work. This relates to the informational video I watched called, “What is Stakeholder Theory?” by R. Edward Freeman. The Stakeholder Theory states that for a business to run most efficiently all stakeholders must be generally pleased with the company. This obviously does not fit with the model of the mines, because the miners are extremely unhappy with the work conditions and lack of personal safety. Mine companies could be hurt in the long run by this current dilemma, because if the miners continue to be unhappy, they may not work as efficiently. Hopefully, the mine companies consider changing their ways in the near future.
This blog post includes information from the article: http://search.proquest.com/docview/1033811415
This blog post contains information from the video: