Let’s suppose there’s a local shop you go to for your groceries. It’s a big shop, which can cater for most of your needs, and the shop uses its purchasing muscle to keep prices down. They’re quite prepared to undercut competitors to take market share and force those smaller competitors to reduce their profits if they want to compete. This doesn’t bother you, because all you care about is that you can get what you need there cheaper than elsewhere, particularly staple products like rice (to pick a random example).
Now let’s suppose that you learn about the way the staff working in that local shop are treated. The shop owners have built affordable housing attached to the shop so staff can live-in, but it’s not good quality and living conditions are cramped for the staff and their families. The shop also doesn’t have a good record of paying minimum wage; working conditions are harsh and there’s a lot of pressure on staff to work long hours. The prices are low: still shop there?
You discover a bit more detail about the shop owners. They tell the staff what they can and can’t read, even what they should be thinking. Anyone who is caught reading a proscribed newspaper, or suggesting an opinion that doesn’t match the owners’ instructions is denied work breaks, given the most unpleasant and menial jobs. The prices are low: still shop there?
It gets worse. You find out that those who break the rules are physically beaten and shamed by the shop owners into confessing their transgressions. Some of the staff are from an ethnic minority, and their treatment is even worse: they are systematically humiliated in front of everyone. The prices are low: still shop there?
Local residents hear about the abuse and poor working conditions, so they complain to the shop and send letters to the newspapers to highlight the conditions the staff are subject to. The shop owners deny everything, saying it’s all lies, but refuse to allow anyone to talk to their staff to verify conditions, or allow inspections of the premises. The prices are low: still shop there?
Health and Safety officials visit the shop. The shop owners insist all the complaints are lies and rumours with no basis in fact. They insist all their staff are happy and well-treated. They refuse point blank though to allow the officials to come in and see for themselves how much truth is in the complaints. The shop owners get angry with the officials and tell them they are henceforth banned from the shop (along with their relatives). The prices are low: still shop there?
At some point, you will decide that it’s not right to go on shopping there. At some point your conscience will kick in. Maybe your breaking point doesn’t come until the local news sends a camera crew to stand outside the shop and interview people to find out how they can still patronise this shop even after they hear how badly the staff are treated. Or maybe you’ll just grit your teeth, think of the bottom line cost and continue to hand over your money in the shop while ignoring all the injustices.
As long as people come to the shop and spend their money, nothing’s going to change. When enough people stop visiting the shop and the income dries up, maybe then the shop owners will consider doing something different.
This is all just supposition of course – it can’t happen in real life can it?