On November 8th, 8pm (UK), Channel4 emitted a documentary entitled: “Fashion’s Dirty Secret”.
In the documentary, the reporters investigate small clothing factories in the Leicester area. And what they found were the proves to widely known, open secret in the UK fashion scene.
Also read Reporter Tazeen Ahmad’s article.
Watch the documentary (till December 6th, 2010).
Massive high street retailers such as New Look, TopShop, BHS, Jane Norman, C&A or Peacock contract with factories in the UK, that in turn subcontract the work to tiny factories that
- <employ workers without asking too many questions. Many of those workers are in fact illegal, on student visa, or – not to be underestimated – legally here but desperate for a job and an income. The work is done cash in hand.
- at less than minimum wage. Salaries paid range from 2£ for folding the garments and preparing them to be picked up, to about 3£ for sewing them up.
- do not respect the the most basic of health and safety requirements. Machines do not have protection to prevent workers from cutting our sewing their fingers up. Fire exits are locked. No training to handle the machines is given what so ever.
- do not respect basic labour rights. In addition to not paying at least minimum wage, no formal contracts exists, working hours exceed – with 13 or more hours a day, sometimes without even a single day off – legally permitted maximum. Breaks are not being respected, and if taken are discounted from the wage.
- overall boast working conditions akin to slave labour: Workers are taken on on day labour basis – in essence, each worker has to find out in the morning, whether or not there will be work for him/her when turning up for work. Continued pressure to work quick – workers are being ‘motivated’ with verbal harassment. Not being able to keep up with the speed means demotion, which means an even lower salary. It may mean to to be hired anymore.
- workers are basically only being paid if they explicitly ask for their wages. If you don’t ask, you won’t get paid. If you ask, you make yourself unpopular to the degree that you might not be allowed to come back for more work.
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The article accompanying the documentary by reporter Tazeen Ahmad can be read here.
The documentary is available online on Channel4-on-demand until December 6th, 2010. Watch documentary.
