Lifestyle Choices

It’s estimated that around half of clothes sold in the UK are imported from overseas from countries such as Bangladesh, China, Fiji, India, Pakistan, Madagascar, Mexico, and Turkey. Some of these items are made by people who are poorly paid and working in poor conditions. Some are made with the help of child labour. These practices keep the manufacturing prices down and makes the clothes cheaper in UK shops.

Buying something made in the UK is no guarantee that the people who made it have been treated well and within the laws of this country. There are sweatshops in various towns and cities where people work in poor conditions and don’t get paid the minimum wage. Many don’t complain because they fear they’ll lose their jobs and whatever income they do have, or because they don’t have the right paperwork to allow them to stay and work in the UK.

By using lower-paid workers in other countries or using sweatshop labour in the UK, companies can keep the prices of their goods down and still make a profit. Their overhead costs are low compared to companies that use factory labour on reasonable wages. That makes it difficult for more responsible manufacturers to compete, so they close or they too move their manufacturing process abroad. All that means fewer employment opportunities in the textile industry at home.

Exploited workers face dehumanising conditions, including the following:

• No legal protection: Some workers aren’t recognised as workers and, in some countries, the factories they work in are not recognised as workplaces. Workers therefore have no right to complain about their lot and the workplaces operate in an unhealthy and unsafe environment.
• No trade union: This can be a result of the worker not being officially recognised or the wages being so low that they cannot afford the union fee.
• Low wages: Worker pay is extremely low, making it difficult or impossible for workers to support themselves and their families.

Workers have no access to the opportunities available within the wider community because of their lack of status, low wages, and long hours.

Organisations that campaign against textile and clothing companies setting up in the developing countries say that you should ask the retailers about how their clothes were manufactured before you buy.

You could argue that the cheaper clothes and shoes are, the more shoppers buy, and the more jobs there are available for people overseas who wouldn’t have those jobs otherwise. Boycotting certain brands can put that firm out of business and leave workers without a source of income. Many charities working in developing countries advise you not to boycott goods unless the workers themselves want a boycott.

Some organisations are working with suppliers and producers overseas to make sure that they get as fair a deal as possible:

• Producers and workers are allowed to join unions and other organisations that can protect their rights and ensure that they have fair working conditions.
• Workers have fair wages and conditions and can afford to feed their families.
• Child labour isn’t used.
• Production methods are environmentally friendly and pesticide free.

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