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”
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.
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
(2) by
contributing educational and social programs, and (
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)
__________________________________________________________________
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
__________________________________________________________________
Everyone, who is engaged in developing global citizenship, is welcome to receive these newsletters. Please request via email, and network by forwarding me questions, inspiring links, and texts to use in future newsletters.
