This Halftime Show is Brought to You By Child Labor in Africa

Breanna Fehr, February 4, 2008. 9:25 pm. Labor Problems.

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire which is the largest seller of tires spent more than $10 million as the sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime show. Being the host of the half time show was more than just selling tires, the company was using the Super Bowl as a platform to cleanse its image. They are currently facing a class-action lawsuit filed by the International Labor Rights Forum. The tire company is accused of committing human rights abuses for its use of child labor in Liberia.

Workers at Firestone Natural Rubber Company, a Bridgestone subsidiary, are expected to tap 650 trees a day and carry seventy-pound buckets of latex for miles for $3.19 a day. If they fail to do this than they will see their daily wages cut in half. It would take a single worker nearly twenty-one hours per day to meet this demand. Liberia has an 85% unemployment rate; with this if workers refuse to meet this demand there will always be someone desperate enough to take their place.

Workers are than forced to have their children and wives help them so they can meet their target. These children that are depended on for their labor will never have the chance to go to school. The company provides free health care for the workers’ children but during Liberia’s civil war the Firestone hospital didn’t issue birth certificates. Children can not get health care unless they have a birth certificate, and the cost of one is almost half of an employee’s monthly salary. Not only are these kids denied healthcare by the company they are also subjected (as are other workers) to harmful chemicals and pesticides that are used in the production of rubber.

Bridgestone won the “Public Eye Global Award” last year for being the worst global corporation for its use of child labor and abuse for the environment. They could have spent their money for better things than hosting the super bowl, such as cleaning the river ways from toxic-waste dumping or paying adequate wages.

I think it is horrible that a company known for treating its workers so bad is able to host an event like the super bowl. The super bowl is so popular that many people will see Bridgestone’s ads and will think nothing of these terrible events. The company is responsible for having children work for them and harming them by chemicals. On top of all that they are denying them health care. I think the company could have improved many people’s lives in Liberia by spending that $10 million on them instead of a super bowl half time show. I believe doing that would have improved their image more than hosting the super bowl half time could have.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/75749/?page=entire