The latest tragedy in Bangladesh’s dilapidated, poorly constructed, improperly maintained factories involved a clothing supplier, Tung Hai Sweaters, located in the capital city of Dhaka. Though the workers were not in the building at the time of the fire, a manager’s meeting led to the deaths of eight executives including the owner of the factory,…
The European Union, the United States, and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) have all responded with outrage at the poor working conditions, shoddy construction standards, and general incompetence of Bangladeshi authorities which led to the factory collapse that killed over 400 garment manufacturing workers last month. Until now, Bangladesh has enjoyed free access to European…
The trucking industry is always a good indicator of economic growth because home building and consumer purchasing directly affect how many tons of goods are shipped each quarter. The American Trucking Association (ATA) publishes a seasonally adjusted (SA) and non-seasonally adjusted report illustrating the amount of freight the trucking industry is shipping. According to the…
The Global Marketing Index (GMI) released monthly by Warc shows an upward trend in marketing spending across the world. The GMI stood at 51.7 points in February 2013 and rose to 52.4 points for March 2013. This is the highest GMI reading since April 2012, good news for the worldwide economic situation, and even better…
According to a report issued by the Freedonia Group Green Building Materials, green building materials will experience a greater rise in demand between now and 2017 than traditional building materials. The rebounding economy is spurring the overall growth of the construction and building materials industries, but consumer awareness of environmentally responsible alternatives, renewable energy sources,…
In 2011, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made big changes to its previous regulations regarding how truckers handle their mandatory rest periods. Previously, drivers had a lot more flexibility in handling their hours of service regulations, which require drivers to get a certain number of resting hours per work day, along with a longer…
Local level governments take various approaches to procurement. Many use a traditional centralized purchasing system, while others have deregulated public procurement and allow departments more control over their purchasing decisions. Sullivan County, New York isn’t the only government adopting a hybrid system that combines the benefits of both centralized and decentralized processes.
Corruption and lack of transparency are global concerns in public procurement. Emerging markets often face the biggest struggles when it comes to fighting corruption. Some nations are forming watchdog groups to encourage whistleblowers to stand up against corrupt practices, such as Tanzania. In South Africa, however, whistleblowers need protection, not encouragement.
Coal, fertilizer, salt, grain, and other valuable commodities depend on the Mississippi River for transport, but the nation’s largest waterway may soon be inaccessible to the barges that move these products. Recent drought conditions have diminished the water level of the Mississippi to the lowest its seen in more than a decade, with some experts…
The clock is ticking on negotiations that could shut down 15 US ports, an outcome that will have a serious impact on Florida’s economy as well as the nation’s. The contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) will expire on December 29. If a suitable agreement isn’t met…