More bad GAP press...

What a suprise - GAP (NYSE:GPS) is getting more bad press, this time for child labor it apparently uses to produce its clothing line. What an awesome company. Private-Equity should buy out the entire company and just cut the entire GAP product line and start again from scratch. Maybe they can take a small hint from Mango, Zara, H&M, or Forever 21 going forward...

As much as we don't like to think about it, sweatshops are a reality. After all, there is a reason we can buy our clothes so cheap -- it's because somewhere, someone is getting paid a few dollars a day to make them.

It turns out Gap is no exception. The UK's Observer newspaper found that the company employs children as young as 10-years-old, who work in "conditions close to slavery." All this in spite of the company's attempts to rid their production processes of this kind of illegal child labor.

Granted, it's not as if there's malnourished pre-teens working in the back of your local retail outlet. These kids were discovered in the dark alleys of New Delhi, hired by subcontractors -- seemingly without the knowledge of Gap corporate executives.

Under the current policy, when child employees are discovered, the contractor that hired those children is not only supposed to take them out of the workplace, but also give them money, access to school, and a promise that they can come back to the job when they're old enough.

But that policy apparently isn't working. And as such, Gap will be pulling tens of thousands of items from store shelves later this year rather than look unethical by selling clothes made by the hands of abused, starving children.

But be honest, do you really care? Today the company's website prominently features their Product Red campaign -- designed to raise money for AIDS programs in Africa (just to prove they're not totally evil). Will this affect your shopping? Do you try and buy clothes from retailers that do good, or do you just want cute looks at better prices?

-Via. Styledash