Swooning over Fashion?

bristol | globalisation | news report Wednesday September 12, 2012 17:33 by Anna McMullen anna at labourbehindthelabel dot org

Sweatshop labour is an ongoing issue that you will have read about. But in Cambodia a new development has started to occur in the sweatshop labour story. Hundreds of female garment workers have been fainting en mass in factories in Cambodian which supply clothes to European retailers because they haven't had enough to eat, and are overworked. This is the shocking consequence of the fact that they are paid poverty wages.

Bristol based Labour Behind the Label are going to be launching a campaign to tell H&M, Gap, Zara and Levis (Cambodia's major buyers) that this has to stop - see below for details of protest actions in Broadmead on Tuesday (18th).

Over 80% of Cambodian garment workers are women, aged 18-35, with a majority being under 25. Many are married with children, or have sick families to support in the provinces. Families and children are a main consideration for these women when worrying about their wage. Many have to make daily choices between feeding themselves and educating their kids - a catch 22 which has led to workers not eating enough and taking on long overtime shifts to make up the deficit in their wage packets. The basic wages they are paid simply aren't enough.

In 2011 alone over 2400 workers fainted and were taken to hospital in 25 separate incidences. Unions say many more go unrecorded.

Calorie research was carried out by Bent Gehrt from the Workers' Rights Consortium in Cambodia earlier this year, which analysed the daily food intake afforded by an average factory worker. He found that workers are consistently facing a calorie deficit of over 500 kcal a day, and this on a lifestyle of physical labour. Many workers say that the food they can afford isn't nutritious or enough to support them.

Brands have been typically non-committal in their response to the problem. Many have said the faintings were related to glue or fumes from chemical processes. However, many incidences have occurred in well ventilated factories. Government officials have been forced to admit that the faintings are related to inadequate salaries, and that these have an effect on workers' nutrition and their ability to rest.

What can be done?
In consultation with union partners in Cambodia, the Clean Clothes Campaign and Labour Behind the Label are demanding that brands pay a living wage for workers so this can be brought to an end. We're asking brands negotiate living wage demands with union partners such as C.CADWU and factory managers, and to engage in dialogue with suppliers on how to reach this figure. Brands must also issue a public statement of support for better wages. H&M must also work with suppliers to increase supplementary allowances paid to workers also, such as paying transportation or renting allowances of $15 USD; paying an attendance bonus (currently $7 USD) of $12 USD; providing breakfast, lunch & dinner allowances of $1.5 USD/day.

Shop Actions - Tuesday 18th September, 2012

On Tuesday 18th September, Labour Behind the Label are holding shop actions in H&M stores in Bristol and London, where activists will 'mass faint' to raise awareness of worker faintings in Cambodia. If you'd like to join in, follow the links.

Bristol, 1630, meet by bike racks opposite H&M on Union Street: on.fb.me/UKov0x
London, 1030, meet on corner of H&M on Oxford Street: on.fb.me/TSWEMa

Contact anna (at) labourbehindthelabel.org for more info.