We've reached week four of lockdown. Life is getting increasingly boring and I feel like I'm spending so much time on social media. While scrolling through Instagram the other day, I noticed that a lot of influences are still promoting fast fashion brands to their millions of followers. It made me question if these businesses are still operating in the UK as I presumed they were classed as 'unessential'. It turns out that they are but at the cost of vulnerable people's lives.
The fast fashion industry isn't exactly the most ethical to start with. The outsourcing of manufacturing has caused a race to the bottom in regards to wages and working conditions, which disproportionately impacts women. Due to poor quality, low prices, and constant production, many of the clothes produced are only worn a few times before being thrown away. These types of practices (and many others) add stress to landfills and exacerbate climate change causing even more harm to our fragile planet. However, you probably already knew that. What I actually want to talk about is how some fast fashion companies have decided to put profit before people even during the coronavirus crisis.
ITV News reported that JD sports and Sports Direct still have warehouses open in parts of the UK to process online orders. If you take a look at their websites you will see that they are still encouraging purchases due to advertised sales and discounts. Asos, Amazon (reported by GMB Union) and Boohoo (reported by the Telegraph) are also carrying on with 'business as usual' and promoting sales.
Fashion retailers are still taking online orders and having sales which means that thousands of non-essential workers are risking their lives every day to process orders. Although the government have said that all non-essential retail must close down due to the lockdown, some fast-fashion CEO's seem to think that this doesn't apply to them and the government somehow don't oppose this. Business such as JD sport, Asos and Boohoo have ensured the public that they are following government advice with 'all workers… (being) 2 meter apart at all times'. But, employees have repeatedly said that this isn't the case as it is 'impossible' to do so due to the thousands of orders they receive and hundreds of colleagues they work with.
Workers at Asos have described conditions with insufficient hand sanitisers and little social distancing. 98% of 460 Asos workers reported feeling unsafe at work due to the coronavirus crisis which was following an incident where three ambulances were called to the same warehouse in one day. Several JD Sports employees reported to ITV News that, when the council visited, workers were asked to move around and handed extra gloves so it looked like the company was complying with the new restrictions.
It is important to note that crisis' like this always hit the most vulnerable people the hardest. Factory and warehouse workers are likely to be on zero-hour contracts and paid minimum wage. With little trade union power, insecure jobs and thus lack of rights, these workers have little choice than to work to support their families… even if it means risking their health. One employee expressed how they cannot afford to support their family with the sick pay they will receive if they were to self-isolate, so are forced to work even though it means putting themselves and their (potentially) vulnerable families at risk. They have been 'abandoned by the government… and forced to gamble with their lives' for items which are not essential.
The government and CEO's obviously have the biggest responsibility when it comes to ensuring the safety of Britain’s labour force, but I believe as consumers we also have a personal responsibility not to perpetuate and support issues which put vulnerable people at risk. Every order we place expresses that we are okay with putting people's health second and profits first. To put it bluntly, one worker said how they 'are not key workers… (and) are just used for profit'.
I appreciate that it may be hard to think this way as we live within a system where the answer to everything is to consume, but we have to challenge this narrative.
The situation we are in is undeniably hard for everyone, especially the key workers who are the backbone to our nation. The government and businesses should do more to protect workers, especially those where their job is nonessential and risky. We need to set the standard and stand in solidarity with all workers and fight for their rights. This virus doesn't affect everyone equally, so we need to make sure that those who are the most vulnerable are supported. Below are links to ways in which you can help.
*I understand that this is a very western lens to look at an issue through and that the fast fashion industry exploits people all over the world all of the time. I wanted to draw attention to this specific situation as it is relevant and obviously close to home.*
Quick side-note- Thanks if you got this far I appreciate you reading this. I have decided to start this blog to casually express some of my opinions, thoughts and experiences and hopefully get better at doing so. Hope you enjoy.
Petition for Asos to 'shut up shop'- https://www.gmb.org.uk/campaign/asos-shut-up-shop
Petition for unnecessary construction sites to colure- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/308933
Petition for the closure of Boohoo distribution centres- https://www.change.org/p/covid-19-boohoo-lockdown?signed=true
Petition for the closure of JD Sports warehouses- https://www.change.org/p/jd-head-office-and-governing-bodies-close-jd-warehouse?signed=true
Petition for the closure of Pretty Little Thing warehouses- https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-pretty-little-thing-needs-to-be-shutdown-immediately?source_location=topic_page
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