Isn it the governments job to make sure there are decent working conditions?
Yes. Governments should regulate good working conditions and enforce those regulations. Actually, many garment-producing nations have good legislation in this regard. The problem is that it isn’t enforced properly. A major reason is that many countries where garments and sportswear are produced try to create an environment that is attractive to foreign investment. Incentives for foreign investors include not only low wages and taxes, but also the suspension of certain workplace and environmental regulations. If a government does attempt to strictly enforce these regulations, many investors will quickly pack their bags for another country that is even less strict and is more accommodating. As a result, all these countries compete against one another in a “race to the bottom.” Bad working conditions are an international problem that will not be solved on a national level alone. But it’s also wrong to assume that governments have absolutely no control over foreign investments.
