This 8 page paper addresses this question: Should companies who profit from "slave labor' pay reparations? First, clarification, the term is used euphemistically, not literally. The topic deals with individuals who are paid below minimum wage without benefits or overtime. The essay first provides data reporting the numbers and percentage of persons who fit this description. Wal-Mart is used as an example of a company that perpetuates low wages. Even so, the writer argues against the reparation proposal and cites employment standard laws as justification for this position. Bibliography t 8 sources.
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at or below the minimum wage that was established in their province. Nearly half of these people were between the ages of 15 and 19, most of whom were students
living at home (Perspectives on Labour and Income, 2004). * 22 percent of employees working at minimum wage level were women between the ages of 25 and 54. The
Bureau commented one factor related to this statistic as the tendency of women to take part-time jobs at lower a lower pay scale in order to take care of their
children and homes (Perspectives on Labour and Income, 2004). * Almost all employees receiving minimum wages worked in the service industry, such as lodging accommodations and food businesses. In fact,
1 in 6 worked in accommodation and food services (Perspectives on Labour and Income, 2004). * 60 percent of those working at minimum wage worked part-time as compared to 20
percent of full-time workers (Perspectives on Labour and Income, 2004). In 1998, Hammadieh stated: "The notion that hideous sweatshop working conditions exist only in ruthless overseas dictatorships is a myth.
Serfdom has reared its ugly head in Canada." The author was referring to the large number of women who do piece work where they are paid per piece rather than
by the hour (Hammadieh, 1998). The hourly wage typically ranges between $2.50 and $4.00 and these women typically work 15 hours a day and 7 days a week (Hammadieh, 1998).
Major corporations are involved in this type of labor practice, including Nike and Northern Reflections (Hammadieh, 1998). These workers receive no benefits of any kind, no health insurance, no paid
holidays, no vacations, nothing (Hammadieh, 1998). Wal-Mart is also viewed as perpetuating the low wage practice. To this date, Wal-Mart has consistently overcome all efforts to establish a union