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COMMENTARY |
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INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS WELCOME!. |
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Should We Do Business With India?
Some have made comments about doing business with India. Some people believe that since conditions for the average worker in India can be substandard compared to what we are used to in the US and other more prosperous countries, and some industries in India have been found guilty of child labor, we should refrain from purchasing their products such as lampwork glass. In 1992, extensive reports were done by the US on India’s working conditions and some of that information is being circulated on the Internet. But let’s consider a few things for a moment. First of all, that was over 17 years ago. Things have changed drastically since then in India. In addition, is refusing to do business with countries like India the answer? Italy was once also a very impoverished country. Working conditions were horrendous there too not that long ago, including in their glass industry. Why is that no longer the case? It’s because other countries did business with them, not the other way around. The only way countries like Italy, India, China and others will change their labor practices is if we first demonstrate our discontent with less than favorable working conditions, but secondly, only if we do business with them, which provides them with the resources to make those changes. That also provides an incentive to change, to maintain that cash flow. India and other countries like them have come a long way recently in improving working conditions only because we have voiced our opposition to poor labor practices, but also because the world has opened trade with them. Refusing to do business with India and similar countries because of unfavorable working conditions condemns the workers to those conditions more than anything. This has been proven in countries like India, China and Italy, and also even in the US. Child labor in India has been greatly reduced in recent years, especially in factories that produce glass and other hazardous materials, because of pressure from the outside world and from doing business with them, not the opposite.
Update:
I feel I need to address the number of negative comments some of our competitors have made about our glass. (You may have noticed this small group's postings on LE or TorchBugs.) Most haven't even used the glass. They have tried to say that the glass is made by child labor, first of all. This is totally untrue. They tried to say that the glass has lead in it. This is also totally untrue. It's a lead free, nickel free glass. They have also stated that it is an inferior glass. This is also totally untrue. Many people even like this glass better than Moretti. Just click on the link above for feedback. I have a strong following right now for this glass, and I appreciate all my customers greatly. Most of the people who try this glass can't wait to buy more. It's not the greatest glass ever to hit the market. I don't know if there is such a glass. But it's a great glass with great quality. It's also less expensive than others because it's made in India where labor is cheaper. The workers in the glass factory receive an average pay of $20 - $25 US per day. When a normal meal is only 45 cents, you can understand how well the glass workers are doing. In fact, the only reason these people are doing this well is because the US and other prosperous countries do business with them. So I am proud to do business with them, to do our little part that can help others have what most of us have in this great country of ours. Additionally, countries like India and China have become an integral component of the US economy. Without them, our economy would suffer.
Here's part of an email we received from the glass manufacturer in India.