“Volkswagen is currently in talks with the non-controlled joint venture SAIC-Volkswagen about the future direction of business activities in Xinjiang province. Different scenarios are being considered intensively,” a spokesperson said when asked about the report.

Rights groups have documented abuses in Xinjiang, including the ethnic minority Uyghur population being subjected to forced labour in detention camps. Beijing denies any such abuses.

[Edit typo.]

  • alterforlett @lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    5 months ago

    Companies only have the moral compass of their customers. If using slave labour or sweatshops doesn’t scare away customers, then they’ll continue to use them. Either us the consumers will have to actually put our money where our mouth is, or (more likely) we’ll have to get governments to force companies to adhere to basic human rights in their supply chains and finished products to be allowed to sell merchandise in their country.

    People still buy from EA, Blizzard, nestle, Nike, anything from the ccp etc etc. So we’re either misinformed or apathetic to these working conditions

    • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      5 months ago

      Fair, but it also shouldn’t be on users to research the construction firms used for tracks automakers have a financial stake in.

      We’ll get nowhere if the onus is on end users to be omniscient of all companies’ actions.

      • alterforlett @lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        5 months ago

        Oh absolutely agree. I think we should try and be ethical consumers (if there is such a thing.) But the only way to change things is to vote for people who will punish cuntish behaviour