Latest news with #garmentindustry
New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
How Can I Be Sure My Clothes Aren't Made in a Sweatshop?
Ever since the 2013 disaster at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, the deadliest accident in the history of the garment industry, it has been impossible for anyone to deny knowing that there is a labor crisis in the modern fashion world. It is one that prioritizes the constant production of more and cheaper stuff over the safety and livelihoods of many of the people employed to make that stuff. Since then, a variety of laws and private agreements have been put in place to supposedly change this reality, but in fact every year seems to bring new revelations about fashion brands being caught for working with manufacturers that enforce sweatshop conditions. Once upon a time these revelations centered primarily on fast-fashion or mass-fashion brands working with factories far overseas, but lately, as you point out, they have also come from luxury houses that are working with factories in Italy. Brands like Dior, Armani, Valentino, Montblanc and Loro Piana have all gotten in trouble because of factories in Italy said to be operating with abusive conditions. Often the factories that have been subcontracted by factories the luxury brands officially employ, though similar stories have been made public since the release of the 2007 documentary 'Luxury Slaves.' This is particularly jarring, because for years luxury brands justified their high price tags by pointing to the quality of both the materials and the labor as well as the know-how involved in creating their products. The implication was that part of what you were paying for was the security that what you were buying was made in a responsible way, by people who were fairly paid for their expertise. This is why 'Made in Italy' and 'Made in France' became synonyms for 'made well.' Not anymore. These days, policing supply chains can feel like playing Whac-a-Mole. As soon as one bad actor is exposed, another one pops up. If you want to know how bad it is, check out the investigations of an NGO called Transparentem that is focused on stopping modern slavery. It has looked into the supply chains of more than 100 apparel companies. So what's a consumer to do? It's not enough to check to see if a brand claims to demand a code of conduct by their suppliers. The only way a brand can ensure that a factory abides by the rules is to fully own it. And while brands like Louis Vuitton and Hermès do, many companies also contract out to factories that sometimes then subcontract. A lot of them, it turns out, don't have complete pictures of where their products are made. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
I've seen first-hand the true price of fast fashion — people suffering, lives lost
Social Sharing This First Person article is the experience of Itrat Anwar, a newcomer from Bangladesh who now calls Steinbach, Man., his home. For more info rmation about CBC's First Person stories, please see this FAQ. You can read more First Person articles here. The true cost of your $100 piece of clothing isn't one you can see. Sometimes, it's measured in blood. Sometimes, the cost is human lives. And I saw it first-hand. I walked through roaring sewing lines, sat in crowded factory canteens and watched workers endure unbearable conditions for wages so low they could barely survive. In their suffering, I realized something crucial — most of us have no idea where our clothes come from or the price others pay for them. Bangladesh's garment industry is one of the largest in the world. It contributes more than 80 per cent of the country's exports (according to Economics Observatory), employs more than three million people, mostly women, in more than 4,000 factories in the Dhaka and Chittagong divisions, and brings in, on average, $46 billion US annually. For Bangladesh, this industry is the backbone of the economy. But it comes at a staggering human cost. After completing my MBA, I joined a company that sold machinery to garment factories. From 2012 onward, I spent three to five days a week visiting factories across Dhaka, Narayanganj, Ashulia, Savar and Gazipur. I worked closely with production managers and machine layout engineers. I had access to both the boardrooms and the boiler rooms — and what I saw there shook me. I visited hundreds of factories, and each day revealed more about the brutal realities behind the clothes we wear. I could no longer be part of a system I no longer believed in. - Itrat Anwar I watched thousands of workers pour into factory gates every morning – some walking miles just to earn a wage barely enough to feed their families. Inside, the air was thick with dust, the noise from the machines deafening, and the pressure to meet impossible production quotas relentless. These workers often toiled 14 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. During peak seasons, they would work until 2 or 3 a.m. just to meet the deadlines set by global fashion brands. Refusing overtime wasn't an option. Many were terrified of losing their jobs if they did. In some cases, overtime wasn't even compensated. In the most hazardous corners of the factories, I had to pass through dyeing sections where massive machines churned with toxic chemicals, releasing fumes that stung my eyes and burned my throat. Boiler rooms felt like industrial furnaces — metal chambers radiating unbearable heat, with pipes hissing and valves rattling under pressure. The air was thick with steam and chemical vapours, making every breath a struggle. The noise was deafening, the floors often slippery, and overhead wiring dangerously exposed. What shocked me most was the lack of basic safety: no proper ventilation that I could see, no protective gear, and often, no functional emergency exits. In many buildings, a single blocked stairwell could trap hundreds. For me, enduring this environment for a few hours was unbearable. For the workers, it was their everyday reality, one misstep away from injury or worse. The Western world often talks about "ethical" fashion. Brands promise safer workplaces, fair wages and dignity for workers. These brands are well-known — their advertisements powerful, their reputations impeccable. But the reality I witnessed was different. While these companies publicly called for higher standards, it appeared to me that the priorities were cheap labour, fast delivery and massive profit margins. Worker safety and fair pay were often pushed to the bottom of the priority list. In conversations with workers, I learned that some went months without wages, while the companies ignored their plight. A local media outlet back home in Bangladesh reported that some workers went 14 months without pay. I still remember the horror of the Rana Plaza collapse on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, around 9 a.m. local time. I was on my way to work that morning when I heard the news. (In fact, I could have visited that factory on the very same day. It was part of my regular duty.) More than 1,100 workers died in that collapse. Many of them were young women, mothers of the very children I had also seen in the factories. The collapse shocked the world, but for those of us in the industry, it wasn't a surprise. Cracks in the walls, faulty wiring, safety risks that were ignored — all the signs had been there. But production had to continue. After Rana Plaza, there was global outrage. Brands made high-profile promises to do better. Some factories improved, and some brands stepped up. But to me, it seemed like most simply moved on, shifting production to countries with even cheaper labour, constantly chasing lower costs. And the workers? They stayed, still earning barely enough to survive, still afraid to speak up, still hoping for change that rarely came. They deserve more than mere survival. They deserve dignity, safety and a voice. One day during that period still haunts me. I had my DSLR camera with me (something I often carried to capture interesting scenes). When I arrived at one factory, the gates were shut, and workers were rioting outside over months of unpaid wages. I waited near a tea stall, hoping to meet the manager. Soon, a few men approached, questioning my presence. When they noticed my camera, their tone shifted and the questions came fast. "Which media are you from?" one asked. I replied that I wasn't from the media and was there for a scheduled meeting. But the tension in the air was palpable and the man asked again, "Are you from a newspaper or TV?" I realized this wasn't just casual curiosity. They were watching me. They wanted to know what I had photographed. If I had captured images of the strike, I could have been in danger. I quickly hailed a taxi and left, my heart racing. These weren't concerned workers. They were local labour leaders, meant to protect workers, but now part of a system that silences the truth, instead of defending it. WATCH | Itrat Anwar talks about what he saw in garment factories in Bangladesh: Manitoban recalls horrors of Bangladesh garment factories 1 hour ago Eventually, I left the garment industry. I could no longer be part of a system I no longer believed in. I had seen too much: people suffering in silence, lives lost needlessly and promises repeatedly broken. Yet even now, I can't forget the faces in those factories — the strength of the women at the sewing machines, the young men dragging heavy bundles of fabric, the children waiting patiently outside for their mothers. They deserve more than mere survival. They deserve dignity, safety and a voice. The next time you buy a T-shirt, a pair of jeans or a dress, check the label. It might say "Made in Bangladesh," "Made in Cambodia" or "Made in Vietnam." Behind each of those labels is a story, maybe one of silent suffering. Some reflect resilience; others, exploitation. And too often, they speak of lives lost in the shadows of the global fashion industry. As a consumer, I now ask myself, "Who made this and at what cost?" Because I've seen first-hand that the true price of fast fashion isn't just counted in dollars, but in human lives, in blood and in the silence of those who were never heard.
South China Morning Post
23-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Millions of jobs at risk as 35% US tariff threatens Bangladesh's garment industry
A proposed 35 per cent US tariff on Bangladesh 's goods could devastate its garment industry and eliminate millions of jobs, observers say, as Dhaka scrambles to avert the looming trade blow. Experts warn the tariff could cripple Bangladesh's export competitiveness and fuel social unrest just as its interim government prepares for a crucial general election. While Dhaka has made efforts to secure concessions from Washington, analysts are sceptical it can avoid the tariff. Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry employs around 4 million people and is the backbone of its economy. It contributes to over 80 per cent of the country's total export earnings, according to data from the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Dhaka. The US is one of the biggest markets for the industry. US President Donald Trump announced that starting on August 1, a 35 per cent tariff would be imposed on Bangladeshi imports – down from 37 per cent that he indicated in April but still more than double the previously proposed 15 per cent. The proposed levy could strip Bangladesh of its price advantage over regional trade rivals such as Vietnam, which faces a lower 20 per cent US tariff, according to analysts. 'If the US implements such a high tariff, then sections of our industry will shut down. Our exports will be in peril. We will be in distress,' said Abdul Wadut, whose firm, Winter Group, exports knitwear and jumpers globally.
CBC
19-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Come inside the century-old Montreal sewing supply shop that's now a pop-up exhibit
For 100 years the H. Fisher & Fils Montreal sewing supply shop operated on the city's storied St-Laurent Boulevard. Now the Museum of Jewish Montreal has reopened it as an exhibit paying tribute to the city's garment industry.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After US tariffs, jobs hang by a thread in Bangladesh's garments sector
By Ruma Paul and Fatima johora ASHULIA, Bangladesh (Reuters) -The fear of job losses is rippling through Bangladesh's garment hubs as U.S. President Donald Trump's 35% tariff on the South Asian nation threatens orders from its main export market and crimps the country's biggest industry. The readymade garments sector accounts for more than 80% of Bangladesh's total export earnings, employing 4 million people and contributing roughly 10% to its annual GDP. Raimoni Bala, who operates an industrial sewing machine at a garments factory in Ashulia, a satellite town on the outskirts of Dhaka, says she fears losing her job every day. "For the past few months, everyone is talking about cuts," said Bala, 32. "Whenever anyone visits the factory, my chest aches. I feel like they've come to tell me I've lost my job." In a letter to Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Trump said a 35% levy will be imposed on Bangladeshi imports from August 1 - slightly lower than the 37% tariff he announced in April but more than double the previous average of around 15%. Trump has said he will impose a 20% tariff on major apparel exporter Vietnam while levies on India and Sri Lanka - also big American suppliers - are yet to be announced. Lower tariffs for these competitor nations will make apparel from Bangladesh costlier in comparison. Bangladesh and the U.S. Trade Representative will kick off second round of negotiations on Wednesday to conclude a trade agreement, Dhaka said. While there was still time for Dhaka to reach a trade deal, the fear of disruption due to higher U.S. tariffs is pervasive on factory floors. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen workers in the garments industry like Bala. All shared the same fear - that under the weight of higher tariffs, cancelled orders and factory closures, their livelihoods were under threat. Suppliers in Bangladesh's garments industry, which counts Gap Inc and Vans parent VF Corp as clients, told Reuters that many brands have adopted a "wait-and-see" approach and are placing few new orders. "The burden of this tariff hike will fall heavily on garment manufacturers and the millions of workers they employ, a majority of whom are women, raising the risks of slower growth, job losses and a rise in poverty," said Selim Raihan, an economics professor at the University of Dhaka. Bala's story is similar to many of the workers in the teeming capital. She left her village in northern Bangladesh with the bare minimum, determined to give her sons - now 15 and 13 - a better future. Her husband's poor health only allows him to work sporadically as a day labourer, she said, making her job at the garments factory crucial to the family's survival. During the pandemic, Bala said her factory shut down. She said she continued to receive reduced wages under a government stimulus programme, but her family was forced to almost go hungry. Every rumour of new tariffs or reduced orders rekindles the fear of losing her job, she said. She said she clings to the hope that her job, though exhausting and low-paid, will keep her sons in school and provide food on the table. "I have confidence in my work. I work with respect," Bala said. "As long as I have this job, my sons can dream. Without it, I don't know what will happen to us." Sign in to access your portfolio
