Are your clothes made in sweatshops?
Photo: Martin wurt/OxfamAUS
If you’re wearing anything from Nike, adidas, Puma, Fila or even some of our well-loved Australian brands like Bonds or Just Jeans, then it’s highly likely your clothes were made in places that most people would describe as sweatshops.
What is a sweatshop?
A sweatshop is a manufacturing facility where workers endure poor working conditions, long hours, low wages and other violations of labour rights. Unfortunately, places known as sweatshops are particularly common in developing countries where labour laws are often not enforced. Other issues of concern are workers being exposed to toxic substances or using dangerous machinery without adequate protection.
Are sportswear and garment factories really sweatshops?
If confronted many of the major supply factories they would probably deny that they’re sweatshops, as all are supposed to adhere to the codes of conduct of their clients. The problem is that in developing countries this is difficult to monitor so the codes are generally not enforced.
And the sad fact is that many workers in the global sportswear industry are living in poverty even though they have paid jobs.
The workers producing for companies like Nike, adidas, Puma, Asics, FILA, Mizuno, New Balance and Umbro, who are mostly young women (aged 17-24), often endure low wages and long hours in dangerous and hostile conditions.
Many of these workers do not like describing their workplaces as "sweatshops", because they think it makes them sound like victims. But these workers know their wages and conditions are unacceptably low and many of them organise protests to demand better wages and conditions, even though doing so can put their jobs at risk.
Take action
- Mr Mark G. Parker is Nike's CEO. Send him a letter telling him workers' rights matter.
- Send Bill at adidas a message. Ask the head of adidas corporate social responsibilty (Asia Pacific) to ensure adidas respects the rights of workers making adidas products.
Buy sweat-shop free clothes
If clothing carries the Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) label it means the garment was manufactured in Australia and the manufacturer has committed to ensuring that all of the people involved in its production received, as a minimum, the legally stated wage rates and conditions — known in Australia as award wages and conditions.
To find out which Australian made garments you can purchase to support fair working conditions, see the ECA list of accredited brands. Brands include high-end fashion, corporate wear, casual street wear, sportswear and uniforms.
Learn more
- Read the Offside! (Labour rights and sportswear production in Asia) Report
- Read a first-person account of an Indonesian sportswear worker
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