Time Flies…

As you all are probably aware by now, I haven’t updated this blog within well over a year.

This wasn’t intentional and my fight for equality within the fashion sphere is still well under way.

Not only do I tell everyone I meet about the injustices people suffer for us to gain cheap clothes, I no longer shop at clothing outlets such as Primark and am still supporting causes such as EveryClick.

Yet, while I may not post news to you all, I do hope that I have been able to enlighten you all a little to carry out your own campaigns.

At the moment I am currently working on a variety of websites such as:

StefanMarseglia.com
TheDailySnitcher.com
DanRadcliffe.com
StickyJamJar.com

I do hope to get the time to carry on this blog in future, but for now, I feel it deserves a well-earned rest!

Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts

What are you doing next Tuesday – April 22, 2008 – at 9pm? If the answer to this question is “nothing” then I would implore you to make a date with your television and watch the four-part documentary on BBC Three entitled Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts.

According to the BBC Three website, the programme will involve taking young fashion addicts and shop-a-holics from England to India, in order to learn about where the clothes that they purchase are made.

Six young fashion addicts experience life as factory workers in India, making clothes for the British high street. In this four-part series, the six work in the mills of India’s cotton belt and stitch clothes in cramped back rooms, sleeping next to their sewing machine. See how it changes their attitudes to cut-price clothing.

The six participants in India
(Copyright: BBC)

Among the six fashion conscious 20-somethings include: Georgina, 20, a telesales executive that believes wearing clothes once and then chucking them away is acceptable, Mark, 24, an account manager that likes to dress to impress and Tara, 21, who wants to become a fashion designer.

So don’t forget to put this date into your diary; find out more information by clicking here.

Money, Money, Money

Since starting this blog I feel that I have become more of an ‘activist’ as such, due to the fact that I have tried in numerous ways to try and highlight how we, as a Western society, affect those working in sweatshops in exploitative conditions; the ways in which we can change this.

One way in which I have been helping those affected is by using the search engine EveryClick – a search engine with a difference.

Even though I have already discussed EveryClick in a previous blog post, I just feel that it is vital to highlight to all of you the immense amount of good that the programme has done so far.

If any of you need a small reminder what EveryClick is, then here one is! EveryClick is simply a search engine just like any other out there – Google, Yahoo etc: – however what makes its different is that through using it you can raise money for many different charities.

The revenue for EveryClick is generated by advertisers who pay for sponsored listings within the search results and banner advertising. Therefore the more people that use EveryClick, the more the advertisers’ listings are clicked and the more money is raised for charity. Over one half of all the revenue EveryClick generates each month is given to charity.

(Copyright: EveryClick)

To this day, EveryClick has raised £428,906.94 through 111,811 different people; £123.54 has been raised for ActionAid and£439.33 for War On Want.

This may not seem like a great deal of money, however one must consider that in fact it is, since it all has been generated merely through searching the Internet, which is quite an easy and hassle-free task!

Yet, we can all do more to help raise these values, as the more money these charities gain, the more resources they can create and distribute, to ultimately make a difference.

As EveryClick works the same way as normal search engines, then why don’t you make EveryClick your default search engine?

If I have tempted you to sign up, and I hope that I have, then click here.

“We Are A Rock Revolving…

Around a golden sun
We are a billion children
Rolled into one”

Saltwater – Julian Lennon

Last week in my sociology lecture I started to learn about the process of globalisation and how we are all one entity, yet all experience different degrees of inequality. After I came across a definition made by a sociologist, I began to realise how the issues relating to sweatshops are a direct consequence of such a phenomenon.

“Globalisation is the process of understanding interconnectedness between societies, such that events in one part of the world have effects on peoples and societies far away.”
Smith (1997)

This definition certainly can relate to sweatshops, since the removal of barriers in time and space combined with new technology, such as the Internet, has helped to make it easier for transnational corporations (TNCs) to produce and transport goods almost anywhere in the world.

War On Want’s Globalisation in the Garment Sector is particularly good at highlighting how globalisation has had an impact on companies producing goods in sweatshops, since even though the definition made by Smith can be interpreted to mean that the events made by Western companies can affect those in Eastern countries, it can also be seen in another way – Western companies can affect those living and working in Western countries, such as England, too!

I know that throughout this blog I have mainly focused on how the exploitation of workers in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) occurs, however in light of globalisation and its impact on the entire world, it is only right to also mention how exploitation in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) occurs too.

For one, one must consider that United Kingdom garment sector wages are not high, due to the fact that they are 28% lower for men and 14% lower for women, in terms of the national average wage for United Kingdom manufacturing industries.

Moreover, there seems to be a growth in sweatshops in the United Kingdom. Evidence for this can be seen by a BBC Watchdog programme from April 2000 which explored the lives of women working in a factory producing Olympia garments in Leicester. The programme spoke to a woman who said she had been locked in the factory until she finished her order, and received £2.75 per hour, compared to the £3.70 average. Once the woman confronted her employer she was fired; from this it is right to think that if exploitation in United Kingdom is occurring, then the amount of exploitation that is occurring in other parts of the world is surely greater.

Globalisation – Is its impact positive or negative?
(Copyright: Arabesques)

However is all bad with globalisation? Even though many corporations have re-located from the United Kingdom and other Western countries, the growth of the garment industry has transformed the lives of workers in the developing world. Even though the wages that these people gain may look poor compared to our own, they have certainly represented radical news ways of living, especially for women. Lipi, a Bangladeshi garment worker, has managed to escape rural poverty, has been able to earn her very own wage as well as make independent decisions relating to her everyday life. Regarding this matter she stated: “Before joining the factory I was very timid but now I have some confidence. I’m working in the city and at night I can go out. I even participate in demonstrations sometimes.”

However is it really that simple? Of course it isn’t! Even though garment workers may have a new lease of life, this is only made possible through working very long hours below subistence wages and in conditions which endanger their health.

Another negative impact relating to globalisation can be seen with the process called ‘the race to the bottom.’ Before, corporations could not move around from country-to-country to find the cheapest labour available, due to the fact that this would mean the corporation would have to buy and sell all of their properties, i.e. factories, the machinery, as well as having responsibility to re-locate all of the workers from the factories.

Tin Shacks – The only form of shelter that many Bangladeshi garment workers can actually afford
(Copyright: War On Want)

Through globalisation however, corporations have begun to increasingly use sub-contracts. These contracts are short term and enable the corporations to ask local factory owners to supply the company with only a certain amount of goods. At the end of the contract, the corporation can either create another one, or if cheaper labour can be found elsewhere, then the corporation will ultimately move on and use another factory instead. Using this method certainly means that the corporation does not have to improve the working or living conditions of the employees or raise the wages that are paid to them, due to the fact that they are not fixed to one residence; this is certainly exploitation and unjust!

To put this into context, a typical chain might be the following: a United Kingdom retailer contracts a buyer in Hong Kong to supply an order. The buyer then makes a contract with a South Korean-owned factory in Bangladesh to make the clothes, while the cloth itself comes from Malaysia. This complex chain means that the retailer will never see the factories in which the goods are made.

An inequality in wealth can be seen as another negative side of globalisation. The Garment Workers’ Project has claimed that in the last 25 years alone, the total number of jobs in the United Kingdom clothing and textile industry has fallen from 1,000,000 to around 300,000. The main reason for this can be explained through outsourcing and the massive disparity in wage levels worldwide. In industrialised countries, labour costs may form 75 per cent of the total costs of a garment, while in Bangladesh, the figure is as low as five per cent; the graph below conveys the difference in wages:

(Copyright: War On Want)

Export-Processing Zones can also be regarded as a negative consequence of globalisation. Export-Processing Zones are also named as Free Trade Areas and are used by countries to tempt transnational corporations to source there, all through incentives. For example, the Bangladeshi Export-Processing Zone offers zero taxes, 100 per cent repatriation of profits and exemption from many national laws, such as the freedom to organise trade unions. While these incentives may woo the transnational corporations, they ultimately have a knock-on effect on the actual workers themselves, so what can we do as consumers?

Well, the first thing we can do is to write letters to our local newspapers. The more people that we get to read about this issue, then the greater opportunity for other people to get active and to help out. This can also be the case with writing articles and creating webpages, such as this one!

Secondly, putting pressure onto your local politician can help out a lot. You may think that local politicians may have little effect on international labour standards, however the more constituents that write to them regarding this issue, the greater the chance that they will bring it up in parliamentary meetings, due to it being a ‘hot topic’ issue amount the constituents.

Lastly, put pressure onto the actual transnational corporations themselves! Link up with campaign groups on the Internet, such as War On Want’s campaign, since unified action against the transnational corporations can and will make a difference!

Sweat, Sweat, Sweat

Going on holiday frequently appears to be the norm for many, however instead of sunning in Spain it seems that cruises have become more commonplace, due to Lloyds Register World Fleet Statistics reporting an increase of over 700 Per Cent from 1980-2001.

The image of a cruise holiday is sold to people under the guise of being fun, magic, romantic and luxurious; this is also accompanied by the comfort of knowing that every whim will be met by willing crew members. Yet, such a picture-perfect view of cruises is also given to the employees, since many are often excited by the thought of working for world-famous cruise ships, such as Disney or Carnival, which will allow them to ‘see the world’ and earn money at the same time. However is this picture really the reality?

From reading War On Want and the International Transport Workers Federation’s report entitled Sweatships, I would definitely have to say that it isn’t, since in a nut shell, the following is happening behind-the-scenes of your cruise holiday:

* Extremely long working hours,
* Inadequate training, especially in the sphere of health and safety,
* Insecure, short-term contracts which leaves the employees without a stable job and living prospects, since they can be sacked at any time,
* Hostile employers that forbid collective solidarity of the workers. This, in reality, is illegal, since every worker has the right to belong or form a Trade Union,
* Low wages and high costs that leaves the employees in continuous poverty. This, combined with the illegal agents’ fees to get the people the actual jobs traps the employees into poverty even more.

If any of the above has not shocked you, then do read on, since it seems like this is just the tip of the iceberg!

“A ship owner can go any place in the world, pick up anybody he wants, on almost any terms. If the owner wants to maximize profit at the expense of people, it’s a piece of cake… It’s a sweatshop at sea.”
(Paul Chapman, founder of the Centre for Seafarers’ Rights in New York, May 2000)

The picture-perfect vision of a cruise holiday
(Copyright: CruiseVacations4U)

For one, there seems to be an apparent segregated labour force, with the division occurring not only by country-to-country and nationality, but also by the colour of one’s skin. The investigation found that by-and-large higher status employees come from industrialised countries and are able to enjoy more benefits, such as having a cabin above water-line, sharing with no more than two people, being able to eat at the restaurants that they work at and having access to passenger facilities, such as Internet Cafes.

Even though this done sound reasonably good, a high proportion of employees never get to see this, as they are forced to work below decks and face disciplinary action if they go above water-line. Many of these workers are from Eastern European countries and are made to eat leftover food. The majority of them also have small cabins that are shared by dozens of other workers, which is hardly fair compared to the lifestyle of the other workers.

This trend can be illustrated by a Carnival cruise ship manifest from 2000, due to the following segregation employment patterns:

* Engine Room: 39 men, mostly from Peru, Uruguay, Philippines and Romania.
* Cabin stewards: 46 men from Asia and Central America.
—–S—–E—–G—–R—–E—–G—–A—–T—–I—–O—–N—–
* Master/Marine Officers/Engineers: Mainly from Italy.
* Managers/Directors/Supervisors: Mainly from America.

Further discrimination is also present on cruise ships, however this time in terms of gender; this is highlighted particularly well by a Lithuanian worker that worked in Reception on the Ocean Glory. She told the investigation how the Purser’s cabins door was tellingly left open during their work-related meetings and how he put pressure onto her to sleep with him or “he couldn’t guarantee what might happen.”

The cruise ship in question – the Ocean Glory
(Copyright: SimplonPC)

Working hours also seem to be similar to those who ‘work’ in sweatshops, due to bar waiters, for example, being forced to work up to 15 hours per day. If this does not seem a lot to you, then imagine being forced to work overtime, for free, for hours and hours doing menial tasks after a 15 hour long shift. You certainly would be exhausted considering that you would be working weeks at a time without no breaks. Wouldn’t you be prone to exhaustion and fatigue? I imagine that you would!

Yet the poor treatment of cruise ship employees does not stop there, and is present through Cherie’s story. Cherie Scrivener, 19 years old, from Australia, worked as a beauty therapist on one of Carnival’s large ships entitled Triumph. It set sail from Miami, yet after just three weeks Cherie’s life was turned upside down.

Cherie Scrivener
(Copyright: War On Want/ITF – Sweatships)

A door closed on her foot and severed her Achilles tendon. Instead of being helped by members of staff from the cruise ship, Cherie was bundled off the ship with only one change of clothes, $300 and a scrap piece of paper with information on about the nearest hospital. She’d been sacked.

You may think that this may just have been one isolated incident, however it is happening right now all over the world. So, what can we do to prevent such incidents from happening? Well…

1) Read more about sweatships by clicking here.

2) If you are going on a cruise, then make sure the company you go with recognises trade union organisations. Do this by writing to them.

3) If you are going on a cruise and see any injustices, take action!

4) Put pressure on cruise ship companies by writing to them. A downloadable letter can be printed off at the GlobalWorkplace website.

Pledge Your Loyalty!

Many of you may be thinking that the issue of exploitation and sweatshops may not be high on the agenda for the Britsh media industry, however you would be wrong.

Just last week, ThisIsLondon.co.uk reported on how the opening of an American fashion giant’s first UK store in Regent Street, Banana Republic, had been disrupted by protesters. The disruption occured due to claims that garment workers in India making Banana Republic’s clothes are being forced to work more than 70 hours a week for as little as 15p an hour.

With more and more news articles being reported like this everyday, how can we, as consumers, help reduce the impact that our consumption habits play?

Well one way in which you can help is by pledging your loyalty.

While I was browsing the Internet I came across a campaign of ActionAids, that I have already mentioned in a previous newspost actually, entitled Who Pays? Pledge Your Loyalty.

(Copyright: ActionAid)

Through signing up to this campaign you will be pledging to the following:

Many people around the world who produce goods for UK supermarkets endure exploitation and poverty.I want Government regulation to tackle this problem so I know no-one has suffered producing the goods I buy.

Once you have signed up you will gain 300 loyalty points with the chance to earn more and more, simply through campaigning about this issue in a variety of ways.

Campaign options include downloading campaign posters and distributing them to others (500 points), answering poll questions on related topical issues (150 points) to even digitally dressing up like a banana, in order to spread the word to family and friends (1000 points).

Once enough points have been created you can then spend them on items such as ecologically-friendly bags.

So what are you waiting for? Pledge your loyalty like I have done and spread the word today!

Every Click Helps!

I realise that with many of my previous blog posts I have mentioned how we, as consumers, can do our part to reduce the exploitation in sweatshops that occurs all around the world, however in reality this may not be enough and instead of changing your shoppng habits it will merely be food for thought.

Even though I hope that many of you have started to atleast think about the ways in which your shopping routines can have consequences for others, I would also like to make you all aware of ways, that are free, in which you can help with this cause, simply at a click of a mouse; the website which allows you to do this is EveryClick.

(Copyright: EveryClick)

EveryClick is simply a search engine just like any other out there – Google, Yahoo etc: – however what makes its different is that through using it you can raise money for many different charities.

For those of you who have alarm bells ringing with the word ‘free,’ do not fret! Revenue is generated by advertisers who pay for sponsored listings within EveryClick’s search results and banner advertising, therefore the more people who use EveryClick, the more the advertisers’ listings are clicked and the more money is raised for charity.

Half of EveryClick’s revenue is allocated to charity each month.

You can even select the charities that you would like to raise money for, such as the ones I have already mentioned: ActionAid and War On Want.

If you would like to do your part, just like I have started doing, then sign-up by clicking here.

War On Want

As promised, here is the second instalment of my blog that profiles charities and companies that have been created, in order to combat many of the issues mentioned in my previous blog posts.The organisation that I will be focusing on this time is one that I have already spoken about, War On Want.

What Is War On Want?

War On Want is an organisation whose main aim is to fight global poverty. They define poverty in many different ways and emphasise that being poor does not mean that one just doesn’t lack having money. They also define poverty as:

* Having a lack of access to land, food, water, healthcare and education
* Having your security, dignity, choice and freedom constantly undermined.
* Having a lack of control over your life.

When Was War On Want Set Up And Why?

In February 1951 Victor Gollancz sent a letter to The Guardian newspaper calling for the end to the Korean war. He also suggested that an international fund should be created, in order “to turn swords into ploughshares.”

In order to see how many people were in support of his idea, he asked those who agreed to send a postcard to him with the word ‘Yes’ on – Gollancz received 5,000 replies!

Following this, The Association for World Peace was formed in March 1951. In May 1951 the organisation invited Harold Wilson to chair a committee and write a pamphlet entitled War on Want – a Plan for World Development. The pamphlet was published on June 09, 1952 and saw the creation of War On Want!

(Copyright: War On Want)

What Does War On Want Do?

War On Want campaign on a national and international level, in order to expose the politics behind poverty.

Wherever possible they involve the people affected by such politics in their campaigns and this can be seen in many ways, especially through the information packs that they release that I have used for some of the posts on this blog. They believe that through voicing the views of the people affected those who have the power to implement change at a national and international level will have no excuse not too.

Lastly, War On Want do not provide things – they don’t dig wells, build dams or give out inoculations. They believe that the best way to fight poverty is for ordinary people to become capable of defining their own rights and interests. This may sound harsh, however War On Want establish long-term partnerships with others who are fighting to combat poverty, in order to allow people to define their own rights and interests.

What Do War On Want Believe In?

Like The Ethical Trading Initiative, War On Want believe in key principles which shape the way in which the work and act. These principles include:

* The greed of a powerful minority not only keeps people poor, but also makes people poor too.
* Natural disasters shouldn’t lead to misery.
* There are more than enough resources in the world for everyone to live reasonably comfortably.
* Poverty can be ended and must be as soon as possible.
* We all have a duty to speak out against these injustices and stand alongside those who suffer as a result of it.

How Can I Find Out Additional Information?

To find out more about War On Want simply visit their website by clicking here.

Who Pays?

Well you would think that it would be us, the consumers, however in reality it is actually Chaturi Salaman, a Sri Lankan garment worker, and other Sri Lankans like her.

ActionAid’s investigation entitled Who Pays: The Real Cost of School Uniforms is particularly striking in illustrating the damaging effects that purchasing cheap school uniforms can have for other fellow-human beings in Sri Lanka.

According to figures by the Joint Apparel Association Forum, more than £50 million worth of clothing is exported to the United Kingdom every year, while women make up 80% of the workforce. Even though such jobs are of an exploitative nature, many women decide to work in the sector, simply because it is a route into employment.

ActionAid’s investigation involved interviewing 12 workers from one factory producing school uniforms in Sri Lanka and two factory owners in Sri Lanka producing clothes for Marks & Spencers. All of this occurred between July and August of 2007.

The investigation found that there is a lot of pressure on suppliers to deliver large orders of school uniforms quickly and cheaply; this affects the workers by increasing the target numbers that they must reach.

Chaturi Salaman, a 22-year-old garment worker, said: “When it gets really busy many of us are crying at work because we can’t handle the pressure. If we are behind schedule then the workers who do the ironing and packing have to work through the night to get the orders done.”

Yet although the women garment workers stated that the extra overtime to complete extra orders is not compulsory, they felt pressurised into doing the extra work, in order to meet deadlines.

Garment workers in Sri Lanka
(Copyright: War On Want)

Chaturi Salaman also describes the working conditions in which she has to put up with.

“When a big order comes in our supervisors scream at us if we can’t increase targets. We don’t drink water because that would mean having to go to the toilet and often we only have a couple of bites of food at lunchtime because otherwise we won’t finish our work in time.”

Even though this on its own seems shocking enough, the wages that the garment workers receive are also abysmal.

ActionAid’s interview found out that only 2% of the retail price for the £6 school uniform dresses sold at Marks & Spencers outlets across the United Kingdom actually goes to the Sri Lankan garment workers. This, combined with the poor wages, results in many workers remaining in poverty.

In reality, trainees gain £16 a month (3,650 rupees) for their first sixth months of work. If they meet all of their targets then wages are increased by (500 rupees) every six months. Yet for many, this increase is ineffective.

Regarding this issue, Renuka Sulman, a 26-year-old garment worker from Columbo, said: “When I first became a garment worker I thought that in five years I’d be able to save enough to go home and start a family of my own. I’ve been working here for nearly ten years now and every month I am getting poorer.”

Working in the garment industry also has negative impacts for the women, due to the fact that they face discrimination and stigma.

Padmini Weerasuriya, an ex-garment worker, said: “Garment women get called juki badu meaning they are slaves to the sewing machines. There is an assumption because they get worked so hard for so little money that they are worthless.”

Sirin Ankar and her one-year-old child
(Copyright: ActionAid)

So what can we do, in order to reduce the amount of pain and suffering that is going on, simply for the right to gain cheap clothes to wear?

Well, the first step is to recognize that there is actually a problem and hopefully by reading this blog post, you will be a step closer.

Secondly, by joining campaigns such as ActionAid’s Who Pays? campaign, we can all take regular action to make supermarkets play fair in developing countries.

In terms of supermarkets, the second that they publicly acknowledge the harmful impact that they are having on their workers in countries such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, then steps can be taken in order to address and ultimately prevent it from happening.

I would like to end this blog post with a quotation that I read that has really stuck in my mind. I think that you would agree that it seems like we take much that we have in Western society for granted, especially when other fellow-human beings do not have the same.

Sirin Ankar, a 24-year-old Bangladeshi garment worker making school uniforms for Asda said: “I spend my days making school uniforms for other families, but I can’t afford to give my own children clothes or an education.”

The Month of Madness

Out of all the months in the year August is undoubtedly the most hectic and mad for parents with school children, since its the last chance to grab those bargains on school uniforms, which can easily run up into their £100’s, especially through the prices nowadays for new school shoes – no wonder why the school uniform market in the United Kingdom is currently worth £450 million!

To make the purchase of new school uniforms more appealing, retailers across the United Kingdom fight to ensure that their prices are the lowest ones possible, effectively reducing their products and prices to the lowest common denomentor. Asda’s George label clearly illustrates this trend, since an entire uniform can now be purchased for as little as £9.96; consists of:

* Polo shirts – 75p
* Trousers – £1.75
* Skirts – £1.75
* Shoes – £4.50

Yet by making these prices possible for us, the consumers, ultimately has a direct consequence on others – the people who actually create the products themselves.

ActionAid’s investigation entitled Who Pays: The Real Cost of School Uniforms is particularly good at highlighting this problem; to view the video clip, simply press the ‘Play’ button below:

 

Vodpod videos no longer available.

The key points from the video clip, I feel, are as followed: 

* 2 million women work in the clothes-making industry in Bangladesh.

* Standing all day is the norm, while getting told off by supervisors is common through beatings.

* Sick leave is allowed, only if you are willing to not get paid and in many cases get fired from the job.

* 5p an hour is the average wage for garment workers creating school uniforms.

* Long hours and poor wages mean that some workers only see their children twice(!!!) a year.

This certainly is disgraceful, considering how 5p transforms into a selling price in the pounds. It ultimately seems that many retailers are only interested in gaining a profit, not matter who they harm or exploit in the process. Something needs to be done and things need to change…

My next blog post will be a follow-up to this one, however instead of focusing on Bangladesh like the video did, Sri Lanka will be the focus of the study, since the exact same thing is happening there too. I will also try and suggest ways in which we can all help to try and stop this process from happening too.