Latest news with #RNZPacific
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Experts raise red flag over 'double-wall challenges' fueling fashion industry: 'The employer will not pay them the dues'
An official with the largest federation of trade unions in Fiji is speaking out about a difficult dilemma workers are facing in the underpaid garment industry. Jotika Gounder-Sharma, an official with the Fiji Trades Union Congress, spoke with RNZ Pacific about the "double-wall challenges" that the FTUC experiences when trying to connect with workers in the garment industry. Most of those workers are women who are paid less than Fiji's minimum wage, which initially rose to around $2 USD per hour for most industries after lobbying by the federation. The FTUC also fights to eliminate forced, compulsory, and child labor while working to prevent discrimination and seeking freedom of association and collective bargaining. Gounder-Sharma pointed to one factory in which union membership dropped drastically amid high fees and management policies that made workers feel unsafe joining the organization. "This can be said for other companies as well, where the workers feel that it is about their job security, which matters more than them being part of the unions," Gounder-Sharma told RNZ Pacific. Gounder-Sharma added that supervisors sometimes mislead employees about their rights to join a union, with migrant workers who feared deportation being especially vulnerable. "The employer will not pay them the dues that they are supposed to receive as per their contract," Gounder-Sharma said. "So they stay within their own community groups, and they are reluctant to engage with the union. They are reluctant even to talk to the local people." While the fast-fashion industry is a money-maker — expected to be worth $179.50 billion by the end of the decade after having a market size of $60.5 billion in 2022, per Zion Market Research — those dollars often come at the expense of the workers who make the garments. Not even 2% of the 75 million fast-fashion workers earn a living wage, according to George Washington University, even as they are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals, including ones associated with cancer. What should the government do about the fast fashion industry? Set strict regulations Incentivize sustainable options Use both regulations and incentives Nothing Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Others face unethical working hours or life-threatening code violations, among other things, and remain impoverished as brands push to deliver mass volumes of low-cost, trendy clothing. The consequences of fast-fashion business practices negatively impact our wider communities as well, even if the workers are the ones taking the brunt of the problem. The world tosses the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes each second, per These textiles end up in landfills or incinerators, leaching toxins into our waterways and soil and releasing harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. Gounder-Sharma told RNZ Pacific that the FTUC is continuing to push for a higher minimum wage in Fiji for all workers and fighting to ensure garment workers are included. The Minister of Finance announced a $5 per hour minimum wage in the last budget address after the FTUC asked for $6, and the federation is now advocating for an $8 per hour living wage. As part of its efforts, the FTUC has teamed up with UnionAID to educate workers about their rights, secure better pay and conditions, and raise awareness about their plight. "We really have had to push hard to ensure that the workers come up with the issues that they are facing inside," Gounder-Sharma said. "Otherwise we are not able to help them, and this has only been made possible by the UnionAID's project." Ultimately, while several fast-fashion companies have marketed themselves as more eco-friendly and ethical than they may actually be, many people are beginning to wave goodbye to fast fashion and invest in high-quality apparel or hunt for secondhand gems. For example, DoneGood's ethical marketplace is one tool empowering consumers to use their purchasing power for good. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Scoop
16 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Samoa Language Celebration ‘Like White Sunday'
Article – RNZ 'That's the most important thing – that you're normalizing being Samoan in the home.' Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RNZ Pacific Journalist A student-led church service at Auckland's Papatoetoe High School celebrated the beginning of Samoan Language Week in Aotearoa. High school students have celebrated Samoan Language Week by showcasing their cultural heritage through Bible readings, prayers, singing, and dancing. Papatoetoe high school Samoan language teacher and dean, Timo Morisa, said the event was 'stellar'. 'It felt like I was in a white Sunday service,' he said. 'If you think about when our Samoan communities celebrate white Sunday – you've got the decorations, you've got the amazing performances, you've got the vibrance; we also had all this food that was prepared.' Morisa said it was 'bigger than just the importance of the service and the opening'. 'There are so many defining teaching points that we are handing over to the students that are coming,' he said. 'One of the other, just kind of side note things, was after the ceremony, kids were in the car park – like Manurewa kids and Papatoe kids and Alfreston kids, and they were just connecting and talking and chatting. And I think that relationship building is so important.' He said one of the chiefs of Samoan language in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Tapu gave an emotional speech. 'He said: 'In 10 years and 20 years and 50 years, where will our language and our culture be? And it is our responsibility.' Secretary for Fotu o Malamalama Lemoa Henry Fesulua'i said parents shouldn't rely only on education systems. 'Most of the time your children are right in front of you,' he said. 'That's the most important thing – that you're normalizing being Samoan in the home, so when they do leave the home, there's other accessibility and support in schools and churches and in various communities.'
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
The Māori-Samoan Art Director Championing Diversity
Article – RNZ 'What we put on stage and screen matters.' , RNZ Pacific Digital Journalist 'What we put on stage and screen matters.' This mantra forms the core of an online talent directory founded by Māori-Samoan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine) art director Leon Bristow. BEINGS represents Aotearoa's People of Colour (POC), rainbow, and disabled talent in the advertising industry, 'disrupting the existent status quo' and using voices that Bristow said have been historically sidelined, or misrepresented, in casting calls for advertisements. Bristow's idea for BEINGS came while living in Spain, as he observed controversies in the creative industry over representation. 'There have been so many – Scarlett Johanson withdraws from roles after transgender backlash; Eddie Redmayne says starring in 'The Danish Girl' was a mistake; Taika Waititi's 'Time Bandits' under fire for lack of representation in cast.' He questioned the lag in representation in creative fields like advertising and recalled moments of frustration when working on sets, where he witnessed it first-hand. 'There have been comments that I don't always agree with (as an art director), because it is about profiling – racially profiling, stereotyping, pigeonholing. 'One time, we were casting for a queer couple, and we had people's thumbnails on the screen… some colleagues suggested we cast a person, because she 'looks queer'. 'I put my hand up and said, have we actually asked if they are queer? In these situations, you are taking opportunities away, income away, from these actual communities if we are giving it to a straight couple – and they don't know how to potray that identity authentically. So my next question was: shouldn't we ask that?' Bristow's personal experiences and identity have shaped his commitment to authentic representation. 'People can find it complicated. You have to raise your hand, backtrack through the process. Sometimes the intentions aren't bad but the questions aren't being asked. 'I have certainly grown a shorter tolerance for this. I have learnt, as one of the few Māori/Pasifika in the industry, that I have a responsibility to my community to give back. 'Starting this project up really supports that, and provides a new platform in this space.' Bristow's directory received funding from Creative New Zealand. 'What we are doing is creating a kaupapa that centres BIPOC, rainbow, and disabled voices in a way that allows them to not just exist, but thrive – from casting, to collaboration, to exhibition,' Bristow said. 'Our work is about creating futures where diversity isn't just an add-on, but a given.' At an Auckland Pride Festival Studio One – Toi Tū exhibition, BEINGS showcased some of the talent in its directory. Executive director for Auckland Pride, Hāmiora Bailey (Ngāti Porou Ki Harataunga, Ngāti Huarere), said the photography exhibition is a vital intervention in Aotearoa's media landscape. 'At a time when systemic exclusion still defines many of New Zealand's screen, television, and theatre sectors, BEINGS challenges prevailing stereotypes and opens space for more genuine storytelling,' he said. Bailey added that disparities in representation remain stark. A 2016 NZ On Air diversity report showed women made up 55 per cent of funded television producers, with 33 per cent directors, and 11 per cent had directed drama. Asian producers represented only one per cent, despite making up 11.8 percent of the population. Māori producers reached 23 percent in 2021, exceeding their population share, and Pacific producers were at 7.6 percent. Initiatives like the New Zealand Film Commission and Māoriland Film Festival have supported this shift.
Scoop
17 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Samoa Language Celebration ‘Like White Sunday'
Article – RNZ 'That's the most important thing – that you're normalizing being Samoan in the home.', RNZ Pacific Journalist A student-led church service at Auckland's Papatoetoe High School celebrated the beginning of Samoan Language Week in Aotearoa. High school students have celebrated Samoan Language Week by showcasing their cultural heritage through Bible readings, prayers, singing, and dancing. Papatoetoe high school Samoan language teacher and dean, Timo Morisa, said the event was 'stellar'. 'It felt like I was in a white Sunday service,' he said. 'If you think about when our Samoan communities celebrate white Sunday – you've got the decorations, you've got the amazing performances, you've got the vibrance; we also had all this food that was prepared.' Morisa said it was 'bigger than just the importance of the service and the opening'. 'There are so many defining teaching points that we are handing over to the students that are coming,' he said. 'One of the other, just kind of side note things, was after the ceremony, kids were in the car park – like Manurewa kids and Papatoe kids and Alfreston kids, and they were just connecting and talking and chatting. And I think that relationship building is so important.' He said one of the chiefs of Samoan language in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Tapu gave an emotional speech. 'He said: 'In 10 years and 20 years and 50 years, where will our language and our culture be? And it is our responsibility.' Secretary for Fotu o Malamalama Lemoa Henry Fesulua'i said parents shouldn't rely only on education systems. 'Most of the time your children are right in front of you,' he said. 'That's the most important thing – that you're normalizing being Samoan in the home, so when they do leave the home, there's other accessibility and support in schools and churches and in various communities.'
Scoop
19 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Samoa Language Celebration ‘Like White Sunday'
Article – RNZ , RNZ Pacific Journalist A student-led church service at Auckland's Papatoetoe High School celebrated the beginning of Samoan Language Week in Aotearoa. High school students have celebrated Samoan Language Week by showcasing their cultural heritage through Bible readings, prayers, singing, and dancing. Papatoetoe high school Samoan language teacher and dean, Timo Morisa, said the event was 'stellar'. 'It felt like I was in a white Sunday service,' he said. 'If you think about when our Samoan communities celebrate white Sunday – you've got the decorations, you've got the amazing performances, you've got the vibrance; we also had all this food that was prepared.' Morisa said it was 'bigger than just the importance of the service and the opening'. 'There are so many defining teaching points that we are handing over to the students that are coming,' he said. 'One of the other, just kind of side note things, was after the ceremony, kids were in the car park – like Manurewa kids and Papatoe kids and Alfreston kids, and they were just connecting and talking and chatting. And I think that relationship building is so important.' He said one of the chiefs of Samoan language in Aotearoa, Tauanu'u Tapu gave an emotional speech. 'He said: 'In 10 years and 20 years and 50 years, where will our language and our culture be? And it is our responsibility.' Secretary for Fotu o Malamalama Lemoa Henry Fesulua'i said parents shouldn't rely only on education systems. 'Most of the time your children are right in front of you,' he said. 'That's the most important thing – that you're normalizing being Samoan in the home, so when they do leave the home, there's other accessibility and support in schools and churches and in various communities.'
