Bolivians emigrate in large numbers to Argentina for a "better" life
the u.s. isn't the only country trying to deal with the problems of immigration...
haiti may be the poorest country in the western hemisphere, but bolivia is the poorest country in south america and many of its citizens view it as a place to escape from... unfortunately, escape, as is so often the case with immigrants trying to make a better life for themselves in a new country, brings a new set of problems, sometimes worse than what was left behind...
the situation has produced friction between argentina and bolivia plus the terrible irony of sweatshop workers fighting to preserve their exploitation...
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haiti may be the poorest country in the western hemisphere, but bolivia is the poorest country in south america and many of its citizens view it as a place to escape from... unfortunately, escape, as is so often the case with immigrants trying to make a better life for themselves in a new country, brings a new set of problems, sometimes worse than what was left behind...
The Buenos Aires city government's new offensive against slave labour has resulted in the closure of 30 clandestine textile sweatshops in the Argentine capital. But it has also caused divisions in the Bolivian immigrant community: some denounce the exploitative labour conditions, while others desperately want to keep their jobs, however precarious.
The crackdown on sweatshops operating in private houses began in earnest after the Mar. 30 tragedy in which one of the factories caught fire and six Bolivians died, including four children. It emerged after the disaster that 25 families were living and working in the overcrowded house.
Buenos Aires Minister of Production Enrique RodrÃguez said that 30 out of 54 workshops inspected this week were closed, due to the appalling conditions in which about 300 Bolivians were working. Forty percent of the workers lived on the premises with their families.
the situation has produced friction between argentina and bolivia plus the terrible irony of sweatshop workers fighting to preserve their exploitation...
The crackdown by the authorities triggered a clash within the Bolivian community in Argentina. On one hand are sweatshop owners and Bolivian workers calling for a six-month grace period to implement safety measures in the workplace without the loss of jobs.Submit To Propeller
This group has been holding street demonstrations over the past few days to demand more time to meet the regulations. It has the support of the Bolivian consulate in Buenos Aires. These employers and workers do not deny the bad working conditions, but blame them on the low prices paid by the corporations that own the clothing labels.
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posted by profmarcus at
4/11/2006
