And that's the point. They're cheating. And cheating at the people's rules, because we don't live under a monarch. And the assumption is that the people's rules exist because the people's representatives all agreed that such rules would be good for the society as a whole.
If contractors don't like the game, they can always go to the legislature and lobby to change the rules. But until then, they're ordinary criminals, undermining the rule of law. And that alone should be cause to jail them and take them out of the game, because they refuse to play by the rules. Something that every conservative should agree with.
Actually the contractors and other employers have their own game. The laws set down by the people don't apply to them. They simply don't care. They should be taken out of circulation and sentenced to jail. They should also have to pay restitution to the workers and of course the back taxes and fines.
These third world countries burn me up most of all. We wouldn't have so much of a problem if these places had a little pride and a democratic system of government. According to the story, Fernando made 2 dollars a day cutting trees. I don't know what their economy is like, but it's probably structured like Mexico's. The rich have everything and control all the resources. They would love nothing better for the peasants to leave their own homeland and risk death to seek a better life. Their government's hands are covered in blood.
It has been said here that we should withdraw foreign aid for such countries, and I agree. I'd also like to see an accounting as to where the money actually goes. Obviously it's not trickling down to the average person.
What a mess.