The fashion industry is a main player in bolstering the global economy, but at what cost? Popular clothing companies such as Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 are able to frequently release new styles, because of their exploitation of workers in places such as India, Bangladesh, China, and Thailand. Workers in these places are paid very little wages in dangerous, crowded and unsanitary conditions. Often times when workers try to advocate for themselves it results in the loss of their job, giving them no choice but to conform to unfair treatment. When workers rights do become established big companies search for a new location to repeat these horrible practices. Leading Fashion corporations are dictated by consumers, and therefore it is crucial for everyone to be informed and demand change regarding the inhumane conditions workers endure. A harsh wake up call for the world took place in April 2013, when a garment factory called Rana Plaza on the outskirts of Dhaka Bangladesh collapsed killing 1,132 people and injuring over 2,500 people. Several factors contributed to the collapse such as engineering and managerial failures. This was after an evacuation took place earlier that month when large cracks started appearing in the building walls. Promptly following an inspection the owner of the building ensured workers that the building was perfectly safe; when in truth it was not. Workers were still worried for their safety but their jobs and pay were threatened if they refused to comply. Rana Plaza fell to pieces in under 90 seconds. “Images and videos from the event are very disturbing. People were trapped under the fallen structure, many dead and many still alive calling for help. The gruesome images of their friends and coworkers under the collapsed cement as well as witnessing their own injuries left many survivors with not only permanent physical injuries, but severe psychological trauma. Some lost limbs, slipped into comas, or require daily medical attention to this day” (growensemble.com, 2021) Experts concluded that this terrible accident was completely avoidable. Sections of the building were created without a permit. Three of the upper floors were added to the building without the appropriate reinforcement. In addition the building itself was built on swamp land. The lack of concern large corporations have for their workers needs to be spoken out about as this was the ultimate cause of the Rana Plaza tragedy. Extremely long hours are another problem that garment workers fall victim to. Workers are forced to work up to 16-18 hours in a day to meet pressing deadlines. Any protests against overtime will most likely lead to the loss of their job and most workers need the extra money as normal wages aren’t sufficient enough. The result of vigorous long hours and non-existent breaks eventually lead to illnesses that predominantly affect women as they are the main people who work in these factories and are also expected to carry out household duties. These illnesses include stress induced ulcers, depression, headaches, and high blood pressure. Being educated on the mistreatment of garment workers can encourage you to shop from more ethical companies and ultimately give a signal to brands to change their mistreatment of workers. Fashion brands reassure consumers by saying that these workers are receiving minimum wage in their respected area and these workers would be unemployed without their job. However, are these two statements really valid arguments? First of all, in many places minimum wage does not equal living wage. This means that the minimum wage is not enough for one to live with the basic necessities and support their family. For example, in Bangladesh minimum wage was 25 pounds per month, yet 150 pounds are needed to live a comfortable life. In addition, arguing that these workers would be unemployed without the work large corporations are giving them with no regulation is simply unfair. If you are going to be a place of employment your workplace should be safe, fair, and reasonable. The fashion industry needs to be held accountable for their inhumane treatment of garment workers. This can be done by donating to funds such as the https://www.thecircle.ngo/donate/ or https://cleanclothes.org who focus on supporting women and girls in the garment industry. Furthermore, when buying new clothes look for the union label. This signifies that the workers who have made this piece of clothing are represented by a labor union. And lastly it is important to educate others on this topic to increase the push for a more ethical fashion industry. #garmentworkers #fashion #livingwage #ranaplaza
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