Ethics, the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles, seems to be lacking when it comes to big business and its use of human trafficking to maximize profit. In 2014, the International Labor Organization found that $150 billion in illegal profits was gained through modern slavery in the private economy. The goods produced by these modern slaves vary from clothing to electronic goods and even to fishing. The way it works is that these products are sold into legitimate markets around the world which are then purchased by the everyday consumers who pay full price for the product. In this way the big businesses are maximizing profit because their production costs are merely pennies on the dollar.
In cases such as these it seems wrong, however there is nothing to stop big business from doing it. All transactions are made by using the services of the legitimate financial industry. Many may question how these massive corporations are able to get away with what we call modern slavery. Large corporations fly under the radar by acquiring any licenses or permits they may need to operate and then they fraudulently record payroll. These slaves are in such economic hardships that they are willing to work for $3 a day if it means that they can feed their children that night.
It seems as though the only way to stop such corporations from being inhumane is through competition. A rival network through regulation, corporate service providers, and technology could stop such exploitation of the human race. For example, there is a company called Liberty Asia which prevents human trafficking through the development of new legal documents, new technologies, collaborations with NGO’s, and financial institutions in Asia.
I feel that this topic falls under the government’s jurisdiction. This is an area of production where a government could change the outcome. A perfect example would be the factories in Asia and the insufficient payment of employees that work overtime in sweat shops. Although many of the Asian governments may not see an issue with this; North America could change it by refusing to buy their supplies from these Asian corporations. A great alternative would be to buy from a company that treats their workers as they should be treated or even by creating a factory here on our continent and giving the jobs to our people. This would hopefully then force other governments to create plans that will put human trafficking into extinction.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/duncan-jepson/new-networks-to-fight-mod_b_11167548.html
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