U.S.-Israel-Jordan Pact

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U.S.-Israel-Jordan Pact Created Near-Slavery Conditions

The new report, whose authors chose to focus on conditions of foreign workers, known as "guest workers," says the boom to the industry came at a hefty human cost and goes on to enumerate examples of abuse to workers and squalid working conditions.

The 168-report says that most of the guest workers in the zones come from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, India and other countries, and have communication problems since they do not speak Arabic, the local language.

The report also details a climate of low wages, physical abuse, including rape, and near imprisonment for workers.

"The gated industrial parks are in a state of what can only be described as a constant lock-down," it says.

It says that at the Al Shahaed factory, which produces for the largest U.S. retailer, Wal-Mart, there were 24-, 38- and even 72-hour shifts. The workers were paid an average wage of 2 cents an hour and many of them were slapped, kicked, punched and hit with sticks and belts.

In a factory called Al Safa, where workers sew garments for Gloria Vanderbilt, Target and Kohl's, a 20-year-old Bengali woman hanged herself after being raped by a manager, according to the report.

In the same factory, 10 to 12 people are often crammed into a room measuring 10 by 15 feet, sleeping on the floor, with no tables or chairs, the report says.

It found that despite these squalid conditions, U.S. retailers were still playing major roles in the Jordanian apparel industry under the U.S.-Israel trade deal. In a single month, for example, Wal-Mart imports $3.4 million worth of Athletic Works garments made in Jordan.

"Behind Wal-Mart's bargains are cheap goods made by thousands of workers being held under conditions of indentured servitude, forced to work 100 hours a week while being cheated of at least half of the wages legally due them," says the report.

"The use of slave labor in Jordan is complimented by cheap fabric from China. This is Wal-Mart's low-price secret."

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12967.htm