4 March 2024
A decade later and not much has changed.
This year’s Fashion Revolution Week, kicking off on the 22nd of April, marks the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. The catastrophe claimed the lives of 1,134 garment workers and revealed how cruel and relentless the fashion industry was. Yet, a decade later, the global workforce forming the backbone of the industry is still subjected to unsafe working conditions, inhumane hours and wages that fail to ensure basic living costs are being met.
From undocumented sexual harassment, forced labour of adults and children, chemical exposure, wage theft and gender-based violence, rampant human rights abuses still dominate. The list of undocumented and overlooked offences is alarming. In light of another ten traumatic years for garment and supply chain workers, we want to highlight some of the industry’s worst offences. Holding those in power accountable is the gateway to changing the status quo.
Fast, faster, super fast fashion: what’s fueling the fast fashion machine.
Wage theft
The Adidas wage theft in 2020, which denied Indonesian workers the legally required minimum wage, sent shockwaves throughout the industry. The pandemic set a record in wage theft and a refusal to pay for completed orders. Companies such as Levi’s, Kohl’s, Sears and Topshop cancelled orders while their dividends to shareholders continued to rise.
Adidas faced further critique and embarrassment at the beginning of 2023 when a fake press release by the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Yes Men went viral. It stated that a Cambodian worker and trade-union leader was named Co-CEO and the Pay Your Workers agreement had been signed. We wish! Adidas denied what would have signalled a revolutionary approach, and instead business as usual continued.
Sweatshop and child labour
Streetwear giant Nike has consistently come into the firing line, facing numerous scandals over the years related to its use of sweatshop labour in countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia. Workers received very low wages whilst working long hours under precarious conditions.
Child labour was widely documented in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields throughout the past years, with children as young as ten found working in the fields. While Levi’s was accused of using harsh chemicals and risking workers’ health, H&M, Adidas, and Nike allegedly took advantage of unpaid and forced Uyghur Muslim labour. It is more important than ever to highlight the power of conscious consumer spending.
In Turkey’s garment factories, a manufacturing hotspot, exploitation also shapes the routine. Countless workers, many of which are Syrian refugees, are paid low wages while working up to twelve hours at a time, coupled with non-existing fundamental rights or protections.
Human trafficking
In Malaysia, incidents of human trafficking were revealed within the local textile industry. Workers were recruited from other countries under false promises and then forced to work under unethical conditions.
Although several cases have made sweeping international headlines, numerous scandals go underreported. They are lost in the endless list of atrocities that define the industry’s prevailing business practices.
Sustainability is still a new frontier
With the EU’s recent legislative crackdown aiming to put an end to fast fashion’s incredibly wasteful and inhumane practices, luxury brands such as Burberry and Coach face the dilemma of unsold products. Until recently these literally went up in smoke, incinerated because it was financially the most viable option. France is the first country to implement legal parameters that render the destruction of unsold goods illegal. “We want sustainable products to become the norm,” Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the European Commission said. With their reputation at stake from leaked TikTok videos, undercover reporting and exposed greenwashing claims, brands are scrambling to meet the challenges burdening their existing framework.
Our current system exploits those most vulnerable, turning desperation into revenue. Putting profits over workers’ rights and well-being, the elimination of modern slavery as well as child labour must be tackled head-on, topping every corporation’s agenda.
Fashion Revolution is putting a spotlight on a broken system.
This year’s Fashion Revolution Week will occur globally from the 22nd until the 29th of April with various events and rallies taking place. It aims to spotlight the fashion industry’s ongoing detrimental impact on people and the planet while advocating for ethical and sustainable fashion practices.
Although pressure is continually mounting on the industry’s global players and several improvements have been implemented, systemic challenges and compulsive overproduction at the cost of people and the planet still overshadow the pathway towards a just and ethical future.
The Fashion Revolution Week is an opportunity for consumers and the industry to reflect on these issues and take action. This year, Fashion Revolution Week focuses on “Rights, Relationships, and Revolution”. The goal is to encourage consumers to ask #whomademyclothes, and for brands to provide transparency regarding their supply chains and production practices.
Fashion Revolution Week will include various activities, including online panel discussions, webinars, and workshops. The event will also feature a social media campaign to raise awareness about the issues facing the fashion industry, encouraging people to take action. COSH! will launch its new platform to help you find ethical and sustainable clothing that empowers and celebrates the workforce suffering under the industry’s current inhumane and ecocidal system.
By actively participating in Fashion Revolution Week and demanding a living wage for those creating our clothing, we can embrace our role as conscious consumers and acknowledge our responsibility and participation within the system and our ability to push for a radical shift.
Starting the change is one signature away!
Fashion Revolution is on a mission to collect 1 million signatures for their Good Clothes Fair Pay campaign, and you can help workers get fair wages! As a European citizen, signing up and advocating for living wages in the fashion supply chain is a powerful way to make a difference. Join the movement and be part of the revolution with Fashion Revolution and COSH!
