Bangladesh factory bosses: Never mind those cracks, get to work!

[Baron Scicluna]

Death toll in the hundreds of Bangladesh factory workers who, despite police telling the management the building was structurally unsafe, ordered their workers into the factory. Hours later, the building collapsed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/24/bangladesh-building-collapse_n_3149342.html

And of course, the retailers who profit could have installed a safety plan of their own which would have cost them a maximium of $500K, but rejected it. Heaven forbid the executives sacrifice a few dollars so the workers at the subcontracting companies don't have to worry about their workplace falling down on their heads.

http://news.yahoo.com/big-brands-rejected-bangladesh-factory-safety-plan-122206229.html

A couple of factory owners were arrested, but there's some doubt as to whether they'll be convicted of anything because of their clout.

http://online.wSportsJournalists.com/article/SB10001424127887324474004578445991168551584.html

Also, might be a good idea to keep them in protective custody, considering there's an awful lot of people in that country right now who are angry with them.

 

[YankeeFan]

I don't know how you post this stuff, all while glorifying professional wrestling.

How many former WWE performers didn't live to 50?

It's a real blind spot for you Baron.

 

[Iron_chet]

That is a dismissive and douchy comment YF and does not really have anything to do with what was posted.

The collapse story has gooten a fair amount of attention up here as one of the clothing brands that factory produced, Joe Fresh, is part of the biggest grocery chain in Canada.

I don't know what the solution is but the basic lack of caring about the working conditions of the workers who make these products is appalling.

 

[Boom_70]

We need to outlaw buildings

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I don't know how you post this stuff, all while glorifying professional wrestling.

How many former WWE performers didn't live to 50?

It's a real blind spot for you Baron.

That's because they chose to do the unhealthy combination of steroids and take numerous drugs, both prescription and illegal. And Vince McMahon finally did install an anti-steroid and drug plan after previously having one and dropping it in the '90s because 1. the government failed to prove in court he told his wrestlers to take steroids and 2. his company was under some intense competition from Ted Turner, and he, as a good businessman, decided to turn a blind eye to the health of his independent contractors.

McMahon put in this second policy to combat the very real threat that he was going to be called up before a Congressional committee to investigate the pro wrestling industry after the Chris Benoit murder-suicide. Which would have also made his family look bad just as his wife was beginning her first run for the U.S. Senate. In other words, it took the threat of government intervention into a private business for McMahon to do the right thing.

With Bangladesh, the private businesses have no fear of government intervention because, as the stories show, the government is corrupt. It got to the point where the private businesses got together to discuss their own plans, but then they decided to back down because of cost.

Oh, and YF, for somebody who's a pretty big baseball fan, I'm sure you were very concerned about the level of steroid use in baseball a few years ago, weren't you? Enough to stop watching the sport, right?

 

[dooley_womack1]

You only cover our factory when it collapses and kills people!

 

[britwrit]

I'll probably get banned for saying this but it's obvious that the Bengali people have no sense of irony. If those owners had bothered just being a little more callous, the building would have collapsed earlier and we would have hit the 102th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire exactly.

Let's try a little harder next time guys.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I'll probably get banned for saying this but it's obvious that the Bengali people have no sense of irony. If those owners had bothered just being a little more callous, the building would have collapsed earlier and we would have hit the 102th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire exactly.

Let's try a little harder next time guys.

It was the Triangle Shirtwaist employees' own fault for dying in the factory. They were fans of Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt.

 

[Mark2010]

Fail on all sides. I mean, don't these workers have brains? No freakin' way am I going to work in a building that I have reason to believe is on the verge of collapse. For what, $2 per day? Just say no!!

As for the owners, do they care? Doubt it.

 

[Captain Obvious]

We need to outlaw buildings

Die in a building collapse.

 

[Boom_70]

We need Concert for Bangladesh II

 

[dog eat dog world]

This could one day be you CNHI people.

I hope Bangladesh has loose gun laws so one of these survivors or their families can put some lead in the head of the company boss.

 

[Stoney]

Amazes me how little coverage huge events get when they occur in impoverished third world locations.

Mainstream news sites like MSNBC, CNN, etc. all had barely a word about this on their front pages when last I checked, despite the fact that it is an ENORMOUS tragedy: at last count more than 340 confirmed dead with around 900 more still missing or buried under the rubble. That's over a thousand lives likely lost by this, more than a third the body count of 9/11.

Can't imagine how huge this story would be if it occurred here or in Western Europe.

 

[dog eat dog world]

Amazes me how little coverage huge events get when they occur in impoverished third world locations.

Mainstream news sites like MSNBC, CNN, etc. all had barely a word about this on their front pages when last I checked, despite the fact that it is an ENORMOUS tragedy: at last count more than 340 confirmed dead with around 900 more still missing or buried under the rubble. That's over a thousand lives likely lost by this, more than a third the body count of 9/11.

Can't imagine how huge this story would be if it occurred here or in Western Europe.

Because corporations hold networks by the balls with advertising, etc.

 

[Boom_70]

Amazes me how little coverage huge events get when they occur in impoverished third world locations.

Mainstream news sites like MSNBC, CNN, etc. all had barely a word about this on their front pages when last I checked, despite the fact that it is an ENORMOUS tragedy: at last count more than 340 confirmed dead with around 900 more still missing or buried under the rubble. That's over a thousand lives likely lost by this, more than a third the body count of 9/11.

Can't imagine how huge this story would be if it occurred here or in Western Europe.

Meanwhile Alex Flannigan is on assignment in Oahu covering Teo

 

[User 11148]

Does anyone here really think that Walmart would choose to NOT spend $500,000 to ensure that its name never gets drug into one of these things? Honestly ... a little bit of thought might go a long way here. Walmart et al. may have passed on the chance to set up an alternative monitoring scheme, but they didn't do so because of a measly $500K.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Amazes me how little coverage huge events get when they occur in impoverished third world locations.

Mainstream news sites like MSNBC, CNN, etc. all had barely a word about this on their front pages when last I checked, despite the fact that it is an ENORMOUS tragedy: at last count more than 340 confirmed dead with around 900 more still missing or buried under the rubble. That's over a thousand lives likely lost by this, more than a third the body count of 9/11.

Can't imagine how huge this story would be if it occurred here or in Western Europe.

Because corporations hold networks by the balls with advertising, etc.

In fairness, the NYT had this on A1 for two days.

 

[YankeeFan]

Amazes me how little coverage huge events get when they occur in impoverished third world locations.

Mainstream news sites like MSNBC, CNN, etc. all had barely a word about this on their front pages when last I checked, despite the fact that it is an ENORMOUS tragedy: at last count more than 340 confirmed dead with around 900 more still missing or buried under the rubble. That's over a thousand lives likely lost by this, more than a third the body count of 9/11.

Can't imagine how huge this story would be if it occurred here or in Western Europe.

Timing can be a *****.

The Waco explosion got swamped by the news out of Boston.

And, this story can't compete with the breathless coverage of the White House Correspondents Dinner.

For something to break through, and get coverage against a story like that, it has to be something really important, like learning whether or not Jill Abramson is a meanie, or speculating about who will get mentioned in Mark Leibovich's new book.

 

[YankeeFan]

I don't know how you post this stuff, all while glorifying professional wrestling.

How many former WWE performers didn't live to 50?

It's a real blind spot for you Baron.

That's because they chose to do the unhealthy combination of steroids and take numerous drugs, both prescription and illegal. And Vince McMahon finally did install an anti-steroid and drug plan after previously having one and dropping it in the '90s because 1. the government failed to prove in court he told his wrestlers to take steroids and 2. his company was under some intense competition from Ted Turner, and he, as a good businessman, decided to turn a blind eye to the health of his independent contractors.

McMahon put in this second policy to combat the very real threat that he was going to be called up before a Congressional committee to investigate the pro wrestling industry after the Chris Benoit murder-suicide. Which would have also made his family look bad just as his wife was beginning her first run for the U.S. Senate. In other words, it took the threat of government intervention into a private business for McMahon to do the right thing.

With Bangladesh, the private businesses have no fear of government intervention because, as the stories show, the government is corrupt. It got to the point where the private businesses got together to discuss their own plans, but then they decided to back down because of cost.

Oh, and YF, for somebody who's a pretty big baseball fan, I'm sure you were very concerned about the level of steroid use in baseball a few years ago, weren't you? Enough to stop watching the sport, right?

You're delusional.

I'd like to look at you as a principled guy, who makes bad analogies and doesn't have a firm grasp on economics.

But, your selective take on the WWE means I can't look at you as a principled guy.

All your principles go out the window, and you become a fanboi when it comes to to Vince McMahon and his empire.

 

[Riptide]

Fail on all sides. I mean, don't these workers have brains? No freakin' way am I going to work in a building that I have reason to believe is on the verge of collapse. For what, $2 per day? Just say no!!

Maybe they can just go down the hall to Human Resources, right? If that doesn't work, I guess their union representative is standing by, right?

The working life is a very different monster in Third World countries.