In a detailed report released today titled “,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) has identified abusive cost-saving measures by major garment and footwear factories that harm disadvantaged factory workers.
An industry expert with more than 25 years experience sourcing apparel told HRW: “The pressure on sourcing teams and buyers is always about finding a better [lower] price [for production at a factory]. There are few times when the question is asked, ‘Well, if we do this, will we have compliant production?’”
HRW spoke with workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Pakistan, detailing their experiences on the factory floor.
“I hate the jail-like atmosphere at the workplace, the ban on going to the bathroom, the ban on getting up to drink water, the ban on getting up at all during work hours,” said Fawzia Khan, a factory worker in Pakistan.
“And the one hour that we are supposed to get off during the day is actually only half an hour in practice. I don’t remember the last time I got a full one-hour break.”
The report follows a 2016 survey from the International Labour Organization (ILO) wherein 52 per cent of apparel suppliers claimed brands did not pay enough to cover the cost of ethical production.
Relatives of the dead and missing workers of the Rana Plaza building mourn on the the one-year anniversary of the incident. Source: LightRocket
“Apparel brands that drive their suppliers to cut costs in ways that harm workers are always a whisker away from human rights disaster,” said Aruna Kashyap, senior counsel in the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch.
“Clothing brands need to monitor and rectify their business practices so they don’t encourage the very factory-level abuses they say they are trying to stamp out.
“Consumers should not let brands claim credit for merely having policies on paper, or joining initiatives with lofty goals, unless they are transparent about the results.
“What’s urgently needed is for companies to show consumers, investors, workers, and labour advocates what they have done to change poor purchasing practices.”
The report comes one month after the release of the ranking Australian fashion brands from A+ to F on policies, transparency, worker rights, and environmental management.
In the Ethical Fashion Report, Australian brands Etiko, Outland Denim, Kookai, Cotton On and Country Road scoring an A- or above.
Australian performers who ranked poorly included the Noni B Group, swimwear company Tigerlily and discount clothing store Lowes.
