Boycotting is the consumer's way of saying you don't like a particualar company's policies.
It could be boycotting huge multlinational companies that are driving smaller local retailers out of business creating monopolies that no one can compete against.
It could be boycotting atheletic wear and other garment industry manufacturers that use sweatshop labor,
paying workers pennies a day and turning around and selling these products for high prices because they have a certain fashionable label on them.
It could be boycotting oil, mining, logging or other major industries because you don't like the way they are ripping up and destroying the planet
and possibly exploiting labour from people in Third World countries.
It could be boycotting consumer products made in countries with opressive governments who deny their citizens basic human rights.
Does boycotting work?
In many cases yes. Boycotting initially brought in the idea of dolphin-safe tuna where consumers would not purchase tuna caught
in huge nets that did not discriminate about what type of animal that was caught in those nets.
Many dolphins died uselessly after drowning from being caught in the nets.
Although admittidly, recently not much has been made of dolpin-safe tuna.
Boycotting companies that were heavily invested in South Africa causing them to gradually divest
and bring about the eventual disolution of Aparteit.
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COMPANIES
Boycott Microsoft The world wide computer software organization that has a monopoly on many
search engines and software. Internet Explorer, the browser operated by Microsoft at times blocks access to sites or email services
not owned and operated by Microsoft.
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- Effable Commentary: Boycott Microsoft
- The Microsoft Boycott Campaign
- Say No to Monopolies: Boycott Microsoft
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Boycott Shell: Shell Oil has played a major role in the persecution of the Ogoni tribe in Nigeria.
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- Boycott Shell: Free Nigeria
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Boycott Walmart
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- The Wall Street Journal says, "Walmart uses its size and clout to bleed rivals dry" (11/18/93).
They've been sued and convicted ($289,000 penalty) for unfair trade practices (WSJ 10/13/93).
"Wal-Mart's hidden prices, not shown on tags, are the costs already mentioned, to the city, to the
environment, and to the community."
- "Walmart uses a price stacking strategy. Only around 1,500 items are below the average retail price. Deeper
into the store about 80, 000 items are actually at par or more expensive. Walmart regularly uses this
"price-stacking". In the US, Walmart has been forced to drop its 'Always the lowest price' slogan because it was
misleading. To kill local competition, Walmart sometimes subsidizes losses at one store with high prices
elsewhere. "
- When it took over Woolco in Canada, Walmart closed the 7 unionized stores, costing Canada 1,000 jobs.
Walmart also converted Woolco's garages to oil and lube operations and asked mechanics to take huge wage
cuts and fired 500 well-paid Woolco warehouse workers.
- Boycott Walmart
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GARMENT INDUSTRY
Many manufacturers of clothing and shoes use virtural slave labour in the developing world.
Workers are required to work up to 16 hours a day and receive only pennies for their efforts
while the corporations turn huge profits selling their products in the western world.
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- Sweatshops.org
- Sweatshopwatch.org
- Just do it! boycott Nike
- Boycott Nike
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COUNTRIES
Boycott Chinese goods China is one of the world's worst violators of human rights.
The Chinese governement has occupied Tibet for decades and will not allow their independance.
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- Buyhard For Tibet
- Why Boycott Chinese Goods?
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More boycott information
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- Infact Canada
- Multinational Monitor
- Sweatshop Watch
- The Boycott Network
