“Today, children the same age as those modelling these T-shirts will be forced to work.”
In ‘we can’t believed this actually happened’ news, Amazon has pulled some shocking pieces of kids’ clothes from sale this week.
The site has grown into one of the world’s biggest online retailers. The clothes were on offer from third-party users who can sell products through Amazon’s Marketplace for a monthly fee rather than the site itself, reports Romper.
Items including laptop cases, mugs, bags, and children’s t-shirts and bibs bearing the phrase ‘Slavery gets shit done’ were available to buy up until earlier this week.
.@amazon how lovely is this? A little white boy with a highly insensitive and ignorant ‘Slavery Gets Shit Done’ bib on. Hmm.. did they pick the cotton right amazon? Or no? Gotta love 2018, what a great start. #Amazon #BOYCOTTAMAZON pic.twitter.com/DKKLFH4JKJ
— Grace Croft (@Queen___Grace) January 19, 2018
The site removed them after social media users accused it of racism.
“All Marketplace sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don’t will be subject to action including potential removal of their account,” a spokesperson for Amazon told Reuters.
“The products in question are no longer available.”
While these products are concerning from a historical point of view, childhood slavery is still very much a reality in parts of the world, according to David Westlake of British anti-slavery organization International Justice Mission UK.
“One in four of the estimated 40 million people in slavery today are children,” he told Global Citizen
“Today, children the same age as those modelling these T-shirts will be forced to work long, back-breaking hours for no pay.
“They will be living in desperate conditions where starvation, beatings and sleep deprivation are common.”
