Cheap school uniforms locking workers in poverty
ENGLAND: Cheap school uniforms sold in major UK supermarkets are
being produced by women workers in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh earning as
little as five pence per hour and working over 70 hours per week,
according to an ActionAid report.
The report - Who Pays? The real cost of cheap school uniforms -
exposes how unrelenting pressure from retail giants Asda, Tesco and
Marks & Spencer to cut prices and change orders at the last minute is
trapping thousands of women who produce school uniforms in poverty.
According to ActionAid, workers making school uniforms for the ś450
million UK market are not receiving a living wage - despite Asda, Tesco
and Marks & Spencer pledging to work toward providing one for workers in
their supply chains.
A Sri Lankan made school dress from Marks & Spencer retails at ś6.
Only 10p of that finds its way back to the worker. Because wages are
such a small proportion of the retail price, supermarkets could double
the amount going to workers without passing on the costs to British
parents.
In Bangladesh, women told ActionAid that they face poverty wages,
excessive hours and harassment from factory bosses desperate to meet the
demands of high street retailers, including Tesco and Asda.
Dominic Eagleton, ActionAid Policy Officer said: “Despite promises
from the supermarkets, workers making schoolwear for the UK find
themselves locked into a cycle of poor pay and poverty.”
“Parents have every right to buy affordable uniforms, but should be
confident in the knowledge that what they kit their kids out in is
sourced ethically. The only way that can happen is for the Government to
step in and make supermarkets play fair.”
ActionAid is calling on the Government to introduce an independent
watchdog to monitor supermarkets’ supply chain practices. |
