During the 1990s and early 2000s, several global apparel, sports, and toy brands hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Large-scale protests erupted against these companies for allegedly using ‘‘sweatshops’’ with dangerous working conditions to manufacture their products.

The Fair Labor Association’s (FLA) annual reports of 2009 and 2010 exposed illegal and exploitative conditions that prevailed in factories based in certain countries. Health and safety rules were being violated. Child labor and forced labor were being practiced. Employees were not receiving minimum wages and benefits, or being adequately compensated for overtime.

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