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Two years after migrants working for global electronics firms in Malaysia complained of labour abuses, change seems slow
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Whilst it's easy to agree with the sentiment associated with this article, as an economist, it also raises some harder questions.
No one doubts that workers' rights are important, but is it appropriate to ask for universal workers' rights - not that I'm arguing that the article argues for this. However, what are the appropriate rights?
Pete Pattisson highlights some aspects of working conditions that are clearly poor, but I'm not convinced by the assertion that "forced labour...is commonplace" in Malaysia. And if you think that the majority of Samsung workers are engaging in a mutually beneficial exchange, then it's harder to justify some of the impassioned rhetoric deployed.