All businesses, disregard their form or scale, peruse one common goal at the end of the day- profit. Despite the existence of some truly ethical organizations, there are still many other ones that ignore the ethic prospect of business.

Forever 21, the well-known fashion garment company that owns nearly 800 stores worldwide. The company is most famous for its cheap, yet still fashionable clothing lines. However, news recently reveals how this affordable brand purchases cotton from Uzbekistan suppliers who use child labour.

In Uzbekistan, children are removed from school by the government during harvest seasons to work in cotton fields. Regarding this matter, Forever 21 responds with saying it has came to a common agreement with the suppliers who promise to use “legally qualified” workers. However, news article reports otherwise:”So far, Forever 21 has refused to support human rights and speak out against forced child labor in the cotton industry.”

It is clear that Forever 21 doesn’t really take business ethics into consideration when selling their clothes. Though already being informed of the child labour issue in Uzbekistan, the company refuses to take a stand against the unethical practice. The business wants to keep its profit, so it chooses to sacrifice whatever that is in its way. In this case, the child labour concern is not formally addressed by the company.

Sources:

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-forever-21-to-stop-forced-child-labor-in-cotton

http://www.businesspundit.com/5-giant-companies-who-use-slave-labor/