What Makes Our Clothes So Inexpensive?

  

Content: Curated learning materials that focus on…

- What makes our clothes so inexpensive?

- The definition of “sweatshop”   

- The 1911 sweatshop fire in New York

- The 2012 sweatshop fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh

- Saying no to buying clothes from sweatshops?

- Focus on the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is another way forward

- The “Save the Children” example of CSR cooperation: “Work2Learn” in Bangladesh

- Do the producers of your clothes practice “Corporate Social Responsibility”?

The motive is the Savar building collapse in 2013 in Bangladesh where over 1,100 textile workers were killed

What makes clothes so inexpensive?   
                                                                          

It´s not only global competition, which has lowered prices, but international textile companies have had focus on finding the cheapest possible production costs since the 1960s, and then consequently moving production to these countries.

- Deepening:

What makes Bangladesh-made clothing so inexpensive? (Article, The Globe & Mail Webpage)

The definition of “sweatshop”

A “term for a workplace that has socially unacceptable working conditions. The work may be difficult, dangerous or be paid a wage that is not commensurate (commensurate = not in proportion with the work performance). Workers in “sweatshops” may work long hours for low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay, or a minimum wage; child labor laws may also be violated”

(Wikipedia)

The 1911 sweatshop fire in New York

On March 25 the ten floors high Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City caught fire and all the dust ignited and carried the fire to all floors. The managers had a practice of locking the doors to the stairwells and exits, and many workers only choice was to jump from the eight, ninth and tenth floor. 146 textile workers died and most of them were recent immigrant Jewish women between the age of 16 and 23.

This was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York, and it became a turning point in American history of protection of workers by law.

Further reading on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire: (Wikipedia)

The 2012 sweatshop fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh

On November 24 Taren Fashion Factory went up in smoke and flames. At least 117 workers were killed and over 200 were injured. The fire started on the ground floor, but many of the workers were unable to escape through the narrow exits of the building. The fire rushed through the ninth floor and on up to the eleventh floor, the top floor. Twelve of the trapped workers jumped to their deaths.

(source)

Unfortunately, this fire was only one of many in Bangladesh: Since 2006 at least 500 garment workers have died in factory fires. (website, cleanclothes.org)

The worst factory accident ever in Bangladesh happened in April 2013, when an entire building housing several factories collapsed, and over 1,100 workers were killed and more than 200 were injured. (2013 Savar Building collapse, Wikipedia)

Working conditions in the clothing industry, which has moved mainly to Asia, has been criticized for years without meaningful change. After being pressured, however, 40 international textile companies that have their clothes made in Bangladesh, have signed a six-page agreement “Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh” with local trade unions and The International Labor Organisation (A United Nations agency).

Logos of some of the company’s that have signed on to the Bangladesh 2013 accord. (source)

- A visual explanation of the factory safety plan in Bangladesh (click)

The safety accord is a huge step to the better. However, not all major garment companies take part, and still around half of the 5,000 clothing factories in Bangladesh are NOT inspected according to these new regulations.

Saying NO to buy clothes from sweatshops?

Should we react by not buying clothes from ALL countries that have sweatshops with the characteristics we have seen above.

- Some so-called antisweatshop movements have said “Yes” (examples)

- Others have said “NO” (example)

Focus on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is another way forward

A short definition of CSR is “a company’s social responsibility”. A longer definition is …

“A company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates.

Companies express this citizenship

(1) through their waste and pollution reduction processes,

(2) by contributing educational and social programs, and (

3) by earning adequate returns on the employed resources.”

Source: (website, businessdictionary.com)

The agreement “Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh” mentioned earlier is an example of developing CSR in international textile industries.

It is also problematic that many children work in garment industries.

The “Save the Children” example of CSR cooperation: “Work2Learn” in Bangladesh

In this project Scandinavian textile companies and “Save the Children, Denmark” put a stop to child labour in the factories. Moreover, offer the 14-17 olds “ …a customized training programme in skills that match the company requirements, basic literacy, numeracy and computer skills. 

We also deliver soft skills training to support the students on how to conduct themselves in the workplace. We teach them their right and duties, and how to communicate in an appropriate manner.

The students are then apprenticed (In Danish: “bliver lærlinge”) with the local companies. This is a unique aspect of the “Work2Learn” model, as apprenticeships are not practiced widely in developing- and middle-income countries. The model has very successfully drawn inspiration from the Danish model in which apprenticeships are an integral part of skill development. After the youths graduate, “Save the Children” helps in facilitating jobs.

In a relatively short time, the model enables youth to be ready for work, qualified to secure a decent job, and with career prospects to perform in a job that pays a higher wage.” Source. “Save the Children as A CSR partner” (a booklet)

- “Work2Learn” introduction video, English (2 min.,video)

- “Work2Learn” introduction video, Danish (3 min., video)

- A company CSR example: ”JYSK Helps Young People in Bangladesh (company website) (company wehsite)

Do the producers of your clothes practice “Corporate Social Responsibility”?

You don´t know the answer before you have asked or searched for information.

Ask the textile firms and search the Internet for up-to-date information.

- You may also get the information from “watch dogs” such as

https://www.danwatch.dk/ (choose English or Danish), http://www.cleanclothes.org and others.

- “Overview: Who works for better conditions in the textile industry?” (website, danwatch.dk)

- Deepening of the topic by Professor Robert Ross, author of

“Slaves to Fashion: Poverty and Abuse in the New Sweatshops” (49 min., university lecture on YouTube)

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Teach GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP Newsletter no. 16
To read any of the previous newsletters simply visit the blog http://teachglobalcitizenship.blogspot.dk/

Copenhagen March 2015

Yours,

Egon Hedegaard

I help teachers and others with a citizenship engagement to find valuable information & learning possibilities by use of global internet resources, … and I help teachers to develop many ways of active learning, … and I write on strength & limitations of global education reforms.

Email: eghedegaard@gmail.com

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