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How do you think the clothes we wear are created?
It comes from women and, in many cases, children in countries with fewer resources where labour is too cheap.
Well, if this kind of clothing is handmade and takes several hours of work a week, they should get a very good salary for delivering a product that costs so cheap, right? As you probably already know, the answer is no.
They are not even paid the minimum wage in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, India, Cambodia.
For starters
The exploitation of labour directly linked to the enormous poverty in these countries has led minors to work in this industry in order to support their families. Still, they barely manage to distribute their daily food and live with dignity.
Why there?
All the mass production made for Fast Fashion brands is what sustains these type of countries economy. The workers do the actual job receiving a litle bit, while the government allowing this to happen, is really the one who obtains profits. Clearly, this is due to the companies that discovered many years ago that it is so much cheaper to make their productions in countries where workforce have a pretty low price. In exchange, the prices in the #FastFashion clothing business are raised and as a result, the company wins and the workers lose.
Why is this even happening?
Like almost every social, political, and economic problem that we can identify in most countries, the cause of all this is a capitalist system that sees first everything that can be produced in mass and the profits that this generates, leaving much to say about such degrading working conditions.
The day to day
The salary given to them is 0.88 euros, which is equivalent to 22 mexican pesos ($1USD). It’s not even the minimum wage per day. Considering the 12 hours they work per day (the legal and average workday in most of countries is between 7-8 hours), it definetely gives as a result one excessive robbery and waste of energy that isn´t even compensated.
If we do the math, they’re making 78 euros a month. Not even getting to 100. To reach 100 euros per month they have to take several extra hours a day, which most women are seen in the need to do just for a few more uros.
The new and updated slavery
Have you ever wondered how these kids put to work visualize their lives? They see it as something normal.
They are so immersed in poverty that they really feel fortunate to be able to work at their young age and contribute to their family. They can’t even imagine using their salary to buy some toys or belongings, let alone save up some money for their benefit. They visualize life from a very early age as an adult would.
This means that they worry every day about sustaining theirselves and their entire family and they often feel guilty about "wasting" their time without producing at least a penny. It’s unfortunate, isn’t it?
It is not normal to run the risk of actually dying in a work of prestigious brands and textiles.
To take into account
We are talking about an existing and globally recognized industry that makes more than $3 trillion annually. To think that people who make shoes and textiles for hours and without any rest do not get a minimum percentage of that money, is outrageous.
The buyers are the ones who need to be aware of this.
Do you really consider it necessary to buy that blouse, that dress, that shirt that while it is so cheap to you without having a serious impact on your life, was made out of multiple hours of tiredness by people who only seek to have a good life?
Not everything is bad
Fortunately, working conditions in the textile industry in poor countries are no secret. And little by little, it has been raising awareness among high-profile companies worldwide, thanks to a worldwide agreement spread and a100% ccepted among some of the clothing brands we use the most.
ATC: Action, Collaboration, Transformation
What's this?
It is a global agreement in which brands from all over the world come together in order to significantly transform and improve conditions and wages, with the purpose to obtain a propper quality life in which people can live as they deserve.
How do they get it actually done?
Through negotiations between the brand, the factory (including employee rights) and the direct purchase of brand customers.
That is, fair wages are set for those who manufacture the clothes of these brands and in turn, the prices for customers would be slightly adjusted, nothing exaggerated.
In fact, it would be difficult for the buyer to notice that there was any change in the price.
This way, we end up getting an employers-clients win-win.
They get their fair salary and us, as buyers, clothing brands that we like with a good price and under conditions that leave our conscience a little bit more clear. In addition, this agreement also looks for the most eco-friendly ways to manufacture their clothing.
Here's their website if you want to know more about the established conditions on this agreement: https://actonlivingwages.com/
Marks in agreement with ACT
If you are interested in knowing which are the world brands #FASTFASHION that signed an agreement with ACT, click here: https://actonlivingwages.com/members/
Among the best known brands are:
· C&A
· H&M
· Esprit
· BestSeller
· Inditex (Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius)
· PVH (Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger)
* Although not part of the ACT agreement, sports brands in general, such as Adidas, Nike, Puma; are quite open about sustainability and make sure not to repress their manufacturers.
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