Environmental and Social issues are always interlinked

We hear a lot about the environmental impact of the fashion industry and for good reason. However, these billions of clothes devoure not only natural resources but also the workforce of no less than 80 million people to produce them. And in a world where the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of Global emissions, destroys lands and ecosystems, we can imagine that its workers receive just as little consideration as the planet.

The issue of workers’ conditions and the overall social impact of the apparel industry has been displayed and “revealed” to western countries after the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster. If it opened a door for advocacy to defend workers’ rights, it did not slow down the rise and intensification of the fashion industry these past 10 years. Rapid consumption of apparel and short fashion cycles are still the norm, resulting in situations where profits are put ahead of human welfare.

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Inhumane conditions for workers in one of the biggest industries in the world‍

Within the 75 million workers of the industry, approximately 80% are young women aged between 18 and 24, primarily from developing countries.

The industry favors women because they usually are cheaper labour, with lesser bargaining power and can be easily replaced. This results in intolerable conditions and wages that don’t reflect the hardwork and set of skills necessary, such as Bangladeshi workers, earning approximately $96 per month, which is 3.5 times less the recommended amount for a decent living wage in the country.

Moreover, the prevalence of subcontracting and informal employment exacerbates the vulnerability of these workers. Subcontracting allows for the exploitation of cheap labour without the accountability often associated with direct employment. Workers find themselves in precarious positions, with no job security whatsoever.

Reports from various sources, including the U.S. Department of Labor, highlight the widespread existence of forced and child labour in fashion factories across several countries, including Argentina, Brazil, China, and India. Despite regulations aimed at protecting workers' right on working hours or security, enforcement remains inadequate. During peak seasons, workers are often required to work intensively for extended periods, sometimes up to 36 hours-shifts and 80 hours per week. Quite often, they are left with limited access to essential facilities such as clean drinking water and adequate sanitation, compromising their health and well-being. Furthermore, the lack of awareness of their own rights and the absence of effective mechanisms for collective bargaining (unions) leave workers at disadvantage in addressing grievances.

Working conditions that impact beyond the workplace.

Not having proper sanitation and not being allowed toilet breaks for 16 hours has real consequences. It can leave people with severe kidney problems. This is only one example of the many health issues resulting from these harsh conditions. More can be cited, like backache, varicose vein, asthma, miscarriage. Long shifts also in some increase the likelihood of accidents such as burns and other injuries.  

In fact, a review gathering results from 17 studies found that the major health problems among the garment workers were musculoskeletal disorder, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, gynaecological, ophthalmological and nutritional problems and mental illness. 4 of the studies focused on mental illnesses showing high likelihood of somatic illnesses, anxiety, social dysfunction and symptoms of depression.

And that is only the tip of the iceberg, as we’re only considering factory workers who are working on machines. If we look at the wider picture of farmers, or the ones who handle the chemicals, dye the clothes... The risks are even more common of developing various respiratory and pulmonary diseases due to exposure to cotton dust, pesticides, chemicals, dyes...

Entire communities are impacted in many industrial regions. All inhabitants residing near garment factories (working in it or not) also bear the social consequences: with displacement, loss of livelihoods, and health hazards. In regions like Tiruppur, India, known as the "Dyeing Hub of South Asia," residents suffer from respiratory illnesses and water scarcity due to pollution from dyes.

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Perspectives for social justice

Stories of poor working conditions in factories in China, Pakistan, or Bangladesh come up all too often. While we rightly point fingers at brands and companies, their responses often disappoint. They issue press releases denying responsibility, claiming they have "zero tolerance" for such issues, or that they're just marketplaces that don’t make their own clothes. These diverting strategies should not make us forget that there are real impacts for real people. One of the keys to address labour abuses is transparency.

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Transparency

Many brands outsource production to subcontractors and garment factories, making it difficult to trace the origins of clothing and hold them accountable for labour violations. Although brands do not pay each garment worker directly, they engage in negotiations regarding sewing prices per item. And let's be clear, fast fashion brands dominate the market. Giving them significant influence over suppliers, making them complicit in the exploitation that occurs. Thousands of factories are in competition, so “naturally”, their way of retaining orders is to lower sewing price and maximizing garment margins rather than ensuring fair compensation for workers. Therefore, brands do have the power here, and the ability to not sell articles at unfair prices and change their purchasing practices in order to truly allow fair wages for employees (closes in contracts...).

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A matter of will

It would cost brands (almost) nothing to do the right thing. Research from Oxfam shows that the cost of labour at the manufacturing stage only represents between 1 and 4% of the pricetag we see in the store. Increasing it by just 1% (or 10 cents on a 10-euro T-shirt) would be enough to achieve a minimum wage for these millons of workers.

Initiatives like the Fashion Revolution movement advocate for greater transparency and accountability in fashion supply chains. They created the Fashion Transparency Index, evaluating brands on their transparency practices, encouraging them to disclose information about their suppliers and production processes. Only 2 brands over 250 taking part scored 80%. The rest hardly exceeded 25%.  

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What to do?

As shoppers, we have more power than we realize. One important step we can take is to avoid buying from fast fashion brands that rely on super-low prices, which only perpetuates an unfair system. Instead, we can support ethical and sustainable fashion labels and shop more thoughtfully. This way, we can make a positive difference in the fashion world.

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For a closer look at this issue, check out the "Who Made My Clothes?" campaign by Fashion Revolution. It's a great way to learn more about the people behind the clothes we love and who is directly impacted by our choices.

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In a similar approach of giving visibility to the workers, we’d like to conclude by emphasizing that even if victims tend to be talked and wrote about as a poor and powerless mass, they are also active participants who fight for their rights whenever they can. Last November (2023), huge protests emerged in Bangladesh for minimum wage rise. When the government finally announced the raise, it was immediately condemned as it was merely reaching half of what is needed to stay out of poverty. Sadly, both the government and factories owners responded by violence and threats of shutting down production and withholding wages by applying a “no work, no pay” rule.

Therefore, while it can seem like a little thing, it is important to support such movement as much as possible, by sharing, supporting their initiatives, looking for call for actions from local organisations... International solidarity could be key in this matter. No brand wants to be associated with violence over workers they already abuse economically.

Investing in worker empowerment programs, implementing fair wages and safe working conditions, supporting community development initiatives are non negotiables in the fights to create an ethical and sustainable fashion industry.

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