FAIR WAGES, SAFETY AND RESPECT FOR GARMENT WORKERS CANNOT BE AN OPTIONAL ADD ON. The fast fashion industry is predominantly built on a system of speed and output, often at the sacrifice of quality and garment worker safety and rights. No matter where you look around the world whether its Bangladesh, UK or LA, manufacturing production hubs for fast fashion giants are almost all intentionally built upon a vulnerable and undocumented workforce (this includes factors like immigration status, class and gender). The reason many of these manufacturing hubs or contracted factories are selected overseas is due to the labour laws being weak and law enforcements being even weaker. Brands then notoriously build an intentional complex model that clouds the authority within their supply chain in order to free them from liability. We need to collectively wake up to this reality and hold brands accountable for their actions. This has been recently brought to the surface through the @boohoo allegations of operating their UK factories during lockdown in unsafe conditions and paying an illegal £3.50 per hour. Unfortunately, this kind of behaviour happens all over the world. Other forms of oppressive and illegal practices happens throughout the industry, we only need to place back few months when the PayUp campaign by @remakeourworld was launched after a collection of brands decided not to pay for ordered that were made, leaving millions of garment workers out of a job, and not being paid for work they were contracted to do. (Since the launch of the pay up campaign 243k signatures and 19 brands have now agreed to pay for back orders). What can you do? 1. Do research, educate yourself, start conversations with friends. 2. Hold brands accountable by asking how they hold themselves accountable for the care, protection and fair treatment of their garment workers. Email, dm, publicly ask them online, tweet them, however you feel comfortable but water happens, use your voice! 3. Follow educators like — @labourbehindthelabel@remakeourworld@cleanclothescampaign Thank you to Alexa Terfloth for creating this artwork as a vehicle for us to spread our words through art.♥️
Co Founder and CEO of Stories Behind Things spoke to Gavin Thompson, VP Corporate Citizenship at Canada Goose. When Stories Behind Things partners with global brands who are looking to build a greener future, it’s important for us to take stock of that business’ direction, transparency and accountability.
