Working conditions in fast fashion
From exploitation
The fast fashion industry is a term used to describe an industry that produces inexpensive clothing that is sold like hotcakes in today's fashion market. The word "fast" is used to describe the speed at which the product can move from the design floor to the stores. However, the inhumane working conditions to which workers are subjected is a major problem affecting the fast fashion industry.
It's an open secret that fashion clothing is made in countries that restrict or prohibit workers' rights, except for companies that use mass customization .
Companies that pay poverty wages are constantly looking for locations that can offer them cheaper labor, even if they make a lot of profit on their products. Here are some concerning labor issues that are prominent in the fast fashion industry – some of them are:
1. SALARIES THAT ONLY ALLOW SUBSISTENCE
In regions that concentrate fast fashion production centers, companies in this industry that pay the best wages attract top-notch workers when they pay their countries' minimum wage. In other words, most companies pay less than the minimum wage.
The tragedy of working conditions is that even workers who are lucky enough to earn the minimum wage will still struggle to survive, because the minimum wage in these countries generally only covers half of basic needs.
2. INHUMANE WORKING HOURS
With the exception of a few “companies of mass customization ", most fashion companies require shifts of approximately 14 to 16 hours per day, every day of the week. When demand increases, they may be required to work until 2 or 3 a.m. In some cases, when they are forced to work overtime, but they are paid very little for these overtime hours. Their salaries are very low. So they cannot afford to turn down an opportunity to earn a little more, even at the expense of their health.
3. VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT SAFETY CONDITIONS
It has long been known that the environments fast fashion workers are forced to work in are very dangerous - this is what led to the deaths of 1,134 people who worked in the fast fashion industry in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Employees at most fast fashion production centers are forced to work in environments with little or no ventilation and therefore inhale toxic chemicals such as sand and fiber dust, which are known to cause non-curable illnesses later in life.
Cases of injuries, illnesses, fires and accidents are very common in the fast fashion industry.
Workers are also exposed to psychological and physical violence when they fail to achieve their goals. In extreme cases, they are even asked to drink hot water as punishment.
4. FORCED USE OF MINORS
It is estimated that around 168 million children are forced to work. Due to the demand for cheap labor by fast fashion production centers, children are often the preferred option, as they are easy to exploit. Most of these industries confine their workers to concentration camps which are, one might say, slavery camps.
5. RESTRICTION ON UNIONISM
In most countries where fast fashion production centers are located, unionism is prohibited. That is, workers do not have the right to form a collective force to fight the harassment they face and demand better wages and a more conducive working environment. In a country like Bangladesh, with more than 4,500 fast fashion production centers, less than 500 of these centers have a union.
A RAY OF LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF DARKNESS
A handful of fast fashion companies are rare gems in an industry characterized by inhumane practices. These exceptional cases decided to be a focus as a defender best practices in the industry .
If you truly care about the future of humanity and the effects of the pollution it causes on future generations, consider turning your back on fast fashion clothing in favor of brands that focus on mass customization . Companies that focus on mass customization generally deal with manufacturers who take the working conditions and compensation of their staff seriously.
Every time people buy fast fashion brands, they further motivate the bosses of the production centers in question to continue with the wrongdoing that the industry is accustomed to - thus, people should only buy brands that respect the best industry practices. Always buy your clothes from a brand that cares about humanity and the environment get rid of the fast fashion labels and embrace the labels that practice today mass customization .