Human Rights Official: Kardashians’ Sweatshop Denial ‘Absurd And Ridiculous’
Dec. 21 2011, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
One of the world’s leading labor rights experts has slammed the Kardashians’ denial that their factories fail to meet basic human rights, declaring their claim “absurd and ridiculous.”
The allegations about Kardashian products in this post have nothing to do with their products sold at Sears.
Charlie Kernaghan of Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights has challenged the Kardashians to open up their factories to his investigators and the world to prove they are not sweatshops.
“I would be clearly stunned if these factories were even minimally decent because that isn’t how China operates,” Kernaghan told Star exclusively.
“If they are proud of these factories and they respect humane rights then why don’t they provide a list of the factories and their addresses to the American people?
“When we put our people in factories we find human rights violations, terrifically high production quotas and people being driven like slaves. They treat people like animals.
Workers, particularly in the Guangdong Province where the Kardashians’ products are made, are denied everything from permission to look up from their work, refuse overtime and even go to the bathroom without asking.
“They don’t even know what a labor right is, they have no idea they exist.”
Kernaghan did not believed the claims made by ShoeDazzle co-owner and close Kardashian friend, famed lawyer Robert Shapiro that his factories respect their workers’ rights.
“That is absurd and ridiculous -- the workers have absolutely zero rights. It is a miserable life without a doubt.
“I believe the workers are mistreated 100 percent but I just haven’t proved it yet.”
Kernighan’s organization has already started an investigation into the Kardashians’ operations but says with many factories locations and even names hidden from the public it could take months to finish an undercover investigation.
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“We have not yet been in the factories, we don’t have a 100 percent proof that these clothing lines are being made under sweatshop conditions, but I can say if there is even a 10 percent chance that this is a well done factory that is not my experience,” Kernaghan said.
“My experience is these factories are rotten, miserable sweatshops. They hide these factories for a reason. Never in a million years would I give any credence that there is a remote chance that these factories are humane conditions. They are in China for a reason.”
Kernaghan also lashed out at TMZ’s claims that Star’s story had misquoted him or was not correct.
“We don’t know what they are talking about,” Kernaghan said. “I don’t disagree with a single thing (Star) said so I don’t know what they are saying.”
He said the conditions in China particularly the Guangdong Province are as Star described.
“I have absolutely no question whatsoever that you are right.”
The allegations about Kardashian products in this post have nothing to do with their products sold at Sears.
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