Fashion factories undercover documentary

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A documentary shows secret footages of factories not abiding by the laws of Bangladesh that states that workers under the age 18 years, cannot work for more than five hours day. However, 40 children between the age of 11 to 15 years are working 10 hours shifts in inhumane conditions. This is shocking, as I have realised the depth fashion companies are willing to go just to make profits. This is a result, of fashion companies constantly advertising clothes we don’t need, of catwalk looks made at the fraction of the price that ends up in landfills. 

By employing people in Bangladesh, fashion companies are saving money in the construction of garments, as the country offers one of most inexpensive labour of workers. The lives of the workers are constantly been put at risk everyday of having locked fire doors in crowded rooms, with small air ventilation that can cause suffocation.  Also, having unsafe working environment caused buildings to collapse with 1,000 workers in it.  

British companies such as BHS, Lee Cooper gives these factories contracts with knowledge of children being exploited, especially girls of verbal and physical abuse by managers who oversee the making of garments.  The companies try to rectify that problem by signing a contract that would improve the working conditions, but corruption has proved to be a source of income for factories. This is because, managers force workers to sign documents that shows that their work rights have been met.

Moreover, the strict working conditions makes it unbearable as when production is stopped at break, the electricity goes out with the ceiling fans. This means that workers are in pitch black, with no means of moving around without hurting themselves on one of the machinery.   The hygiene room have no running water and workers could carry bacterial around and pass it to each other, which can cause them to get sick and be out of work without any wages. This means that they will not be able to afford the necessities such as rent and food. This situation can make workers vulnerable as they can become homeless.  

This is a form of bullying as they are using their power to enforce false recognition, of common human rights and that itself is illegal. Everyone deserves the right of fair wages and the right to move freely without any confinements, unless you have broken the law and are sentenced to punishment.  The way in which workers are treated in the documentary makes me extremely sad as my heart is filled with grief.  

This indicates that the system set out by the managers of the factories are for their own benefit they will get richer, and employees will become poorer. This shows capitalism in fashion, as the fashion industry is not thinking about the pollution and waste they cause and goes back to the idea of making profits.  But the question is, how they would make profits in the future if everyone is killed off due to global warming?  

References:

The documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHw4HEzzsyc&t=32s

fashion factories undercover (2016) real stories, 6 august, unknown.
The images in blog
Pinterest, p. (2012) Bangladesh children labor in the fast fashion industry. Available at: https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=W7dpGp4H&id=63662ADAEC6AD27CB26B3C643189566739295EDE&thid=OIP.W7dpGp4HRxvhNi9s8bSpqwHaEo&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fi.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2fa2%2fee%2f9d%2fa2ee9d13ad37fb714d60afd83f82eceb.jpg&exph=675&expw=1080&q=bangladesh+people+working+in+fashion&simid=608012991633884020&ck=89893D2FC8B6C5B6D13389D9918DF7A5&selectedIndex=5&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0 (Accessed: 9th march 2021).
University of Washington, UW. (2015) study: Manufacturing growth can benefit Bangladeshi women. Available at:https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=sSKeqstw&id=8034441EDE727F49F95329556F26900EF91CA753&thid=OIP.sSKeqstw1axO4-6ovnplAQHaE7&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuw-s3-cdn%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2015%2F02%2F04173740%2F16091594158_7abf05498e_k.jpg&exph=1365&expw=2048&q=bangladesh+people+working+in+fashion&simid=608018579241437250&ck=D0DA816BF6EFB4B39E65F866B86BE5AC&selectedindex=3&form=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&sim=11  (Accessed: 9th march 2021).
 
fashionista.com, F (2020) 7 years Rana Plaza, 'Brands still Do Not Value Human. Available at:https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=Je7c9Myu&id=19197E273BD9890B4D5BE2F56F5B71184534C7FD&thid=OIP.Je7c9MyuaA17rwpmfz-tRAHaE8&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2ffashionista.com%2f.image%2fc_limit%252Ccs_srgb%252Cfl_progressive%252Cq_auto%3agood%252Cw_700%2fMTcyMDYxNTUxODkxNTg4MzU1%2fcmc_bangladesh-2019-172-of-316.jpg&exph=467&expw=700&q=bangladesh+people+working+in+fashion&simid=607989283330329403&ck=8930C8070082C5E752E10C452055BCAB&selectedIndex=0&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0  (Accessed: 9th march 2021).
Common Dreams, CD. (2001) Forced to Die: The Garment workers at Rana Plaza. Available at: https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=qJ7dlVG4&id=2B10AEC0723D5D26EF984DC42423518A200667A1&thid=OIP.qJ7dlVG45kJ739LS2wgQCAHaEK&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.commondreams.org%2fsites%2fdefault%2ffiles%2fimce-images%2fap_bangladesh_factory_collapse_ll_130424_wg.jpg&exph=360&expw=640&q=bangladeshi+people+work+in+clothing+bad+conditions&simid=608008073899149401&ck=F841C9BC061EAE126B96376F6B713217&selectedIndex=5&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0 (Accessed: 9th march 2021).
 
 
 

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