The State of China Manufacturing
When you look at a large proportion of the worlds manufacturing you will notice that a large amount of it takes place in China. Most products that you pick up off the shelves these days have made in China stamped on them somewhere. So why has China manufacturing become such an attractive proposition to companies these days?
Well for a start if you look at the country you will notice that it has one of the largest land masses in the world and obviously with that comes a large population that needs work. China is still a communist country and therefore has come up against a number of human rights issues for the way some people are forced to work for very little in conditions that aren’t exactly suitable for the type of work undertaken.
Obviously not all China manufacturing plants are run under such a strict regime and this is why a lot of western companies choose to place their manufacturing in places like China. Most of the major sporting and clothing brands have China manufacturing branches that produce all their latest products. Nike, Adidas and many more companies all utilise the cost benefits of producing their products in China.
Some people sometime bemoan the fact that all the manufacturing work has been shipped off to China and China manufacturing agent. However, if you run a business your main aim is to get your product produced to a specified and satisfactory level at the cheapest price possible. That is how you make a profit and that is the most simple rule you will find in business.
Obviously the work that is being performed at the China manufacturing plants is to a satisfactory level for the companies otherwise they would move their production elsewhere. The worrying thing seems to be that very few people seem to worry about the working conditions of the workers. People have exposed some of these employers for keeping people in cramped and unworkable conditions and yet after the company issues a full and frank apology and mentions that they didn’t know about the working conditions, nothing really changes.
The clientele has an important role to play in this also, making sure that manufacturers play by the rules. If we did then we could ensure that no worker has to struggle and sweat all day to earn a pittance that isn’t enough to fund basic food, drink or accommodation.