Poor Working Conditions: They're Still Here

As of February 2018, underpaid Venezuelan oil workers are starving in Venezuela. Because of their low pay, they can hardly afford proper meals every day. One Venezuelan, Pablo Ruiz, is paid around 50¢ per week, which allows him to buy under a kilogram of rice or corn meal. Not only is this unhealthy, it gets in the way of his', and many other Venezuelans' work. Workers in Venezuelan oil factories have been quitting their jobs, because their food is more important than their job. Venezuelan children are dying because of the lack of food, and adults have been forced to search through garbage to find scraps of food. Surveys by Venezuelan universities have found that over 64% of Venezuelans lost an average of 25 pounds in 2017. An oil company PDVSA, which used to gives a full free lunch to employees, and was a way many survived, has stopped the practice, and many employees and Venezuelan citizens are angry and hungry. Employees continue to resign, and Venezuela's oil industry is suffering.

As of July 2009, the clothing industry has been growing, but working conditions have been growing worse. Factory workers are underpaid, overworked, and are forced to work overtime. Not only that, but they are under the constant fear of being fired. Workers may be fired for simple mistakes, or coming in to work late, even so much as a few minutes. When factories are inspected, workers are instructed on what to say, all the while not knowing about the factory inspection. Unions in factories are rare, and worker complaints wind up hurting them later, rather than improving their conditions.

In January of 2014, workers in Cambodia's clothing factories were sent to jail, hurt, and even killed, when protesting for higher wages. Some of the workers injured when protesting for higher pay are now handicapped for the rest of their lives, due to the brutal injuries they sustained at the protests. Most workers are now afraid to protest, in fear of returning to jail, or being severely hurt again. Van Sou Ieng, who is the president of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, is trying to abolish the eight hour working limit, required by law, and is also trying to separate unions. Conditions in factories are unsafe and hazardous, with many labourers fainting while at work, and others exposed to toxic chemicals without proper protective gear.

Migrant workers in China are treated as outcasts, many of them living on $2 a day, or less. They do not receive state benefits, and are forced to work overtime, and are also exposed to many health risks. Migrant workers trying to earn money end up taking jobs in factories, where they are underpaid, overworked, and discriminated against. Workers live in cramped housing, with as many as six people in one dormitory. Women with children are rarely allowed maternity leave, and have no child care facilities. Trade unions and labor organizations are monitored and heavily regulated by the government. Corporations and owners of factories take advantage of migrant workers, as many do not know their own rights, as well as the government's refusal to acknowledge the horrible working conditions of the laborers. Workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals, and injuries are common. Sandblasting, which is a denim-treating technique, is harmful to workers, and may lead to sickness, disease, and death.

As of 2019, women in India are experiencing horrible working conditions in their jobs processing cashews. They are payed very little, and their pay is based off of how much work they do. Women working in factories are paid as little as €4-6 per day, and self-employed workers earn less, around €2-3 per day. After cashews are picked off of fruits on trees, they are cut in half by women operating machines that require skill and speed. The shell and skin are then removed from the nut. This is no easy task, and it is dangerous. The inside of cashews contains acids. These acids burn the women's hands and sting their eyes. The women do not use gloves, as they usually rip, and would slow them down. The worker's eyes also burn, and they have difficulty sleeping, because they feel feverish. However, they depend on the cashews for money, and so must continue working.