The Australian fashion report 2015: the truth behind the barcode

Examines the increased risk of child and forced labour in the fashion industry, as many local companies are unable to trace or fail to monitor their supply chains. Introduction It’s been two years since the fatal Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, an event which saw the lives of 1,100 factory workers tragically cut short and is now recorded as the second worst industrial accident of all time. The event sparked the collective conscience of consumers, retailers, investors and governments to know more about the people producing our clothes and how they are treated. The 2013 Australian Fashion Report, released in the wake of the accident, helped to shed some light on these questions by assessing the efforts of companies to protect workers in their supply chain from exploitation and the egregious practice of modern slavery, awarding each company grades from A to F.   This report updates and expands that research, adding an additional 18 companies representing over 91 brands. Of the companies researched in our last publication, a remarkable two thirds have improved their labour rights management systems, 100% now have codes of conduct (up from 85%) and the number of companies that actively engaged with the research process has increased from 54% to 94%.   Some companies that have made significant improvements include Kmart, which has released a complete list of its direct suppliers, a huge step towards transparency; The Cotton On Group, which has taken big steps forward to identify suppliers deeper in their supply chain; and H&M, Zara, Country Road and the Sussan Group which have demonstrated that they have made efforts towards paying better wages for workers overseas.   The Fairtrade companies once again are a stand out, with all their brands receiving A grades. Etiko still retains top honours, having traced its entire supply chain and taken action to ensure workers at the inputs and final stage of manufacturing levels of the supply chain are being paid a living wage. Etiko’s performance is only matched by the newcomer, Audrey Blue, who shares Etiko’s supply chain. The Cotton On Group takes honours for being the highest rated, non-Fairtrade Australian retailer, while H&M and Inditex, the two biggest fashion retailers in the world, are amongst the best rated international brands, receiving A-grades while also taking action to ensure workers at the final stage of production are being paid above the minimum wage. Only Hanesbrands received a higher grade, an A, but has yet to demonstrate any action on improving worker wages.       &nbsp

The Australian fashion report 2013: the truth behind the barcode

This report examines 41 clothing companies operating in Australia and assesses what efforts they are undertaking to protect the workers in their supply chain from exploitation, forced labour and child labour. Introduction In the wake of the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, there has been an increasing desire for Australian consumers to know more about how our clothes are produced and how the workers that make them are treated. This report examines 41 companies (128 brands) operating in Australia, and assesses what efforts they are undertaking to protect the workers in their supply chain from exploitation, forced labour and child labour. This research builds upon work previously carried out in the US focused ‘Apparel Industry Trends’ report, compiled by Free2Work. Two decades ago it was standard practice for fashion brands to publicly deny any responsibility for workers in their supply chain. Years of worker and consumer activism, and most recently the tragic events in Bangladesh, have shifted the debate. A number of companies have moved to develop extensive corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that, if properly enacted, should lead to improved working conditions and positive change for workers. The report grades companies across four categories of their CSR practices: Policies, Traceability & Transparency, Monitoring & Training, and Worker Rights. It is worth noting that though more than a third of companies received an A grade for their policies, without adequate enforcement mechanisms, the impact of these policies on workers’ livelihoods can be negligible, with only 2 companies (5%) reporting efforts to ensure that workers at multiple stages of the supply chain receive a living wage. We hold that it is important for companies to ensure they have supply chains that are highly transparent, and where workers are respected and afforded a voice to negotiate working conditions and speak out against grievances. In compiling these grades, we have sought to engage brands with the research process. Where brands have not responded we have graded them based on publically available information on their CSR policies. It is possible that many of these brands are doing more than is represented by these grades and we look forward to working with them to understand their practices better. Along with the presented grades, the report highlights a few significant labour rights issues faced in the various stages of production, such as the use of forced child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields and ongoing worker exploitation in Bangladesh’s garment factories. In addition to comprehensive CSR policies and monitoring, we encourage brands to support issue specific initiatives like the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety or the Responsible Sourcing Network’s pledge to not use Uzbekistani cotton. These initiatives represent an essential step toward protecting workers. We also want to encourage companies to begin reporting the impact of their CSR policies, and in particular the wage gains of their workers – one of the most dependable measures of improved worker well-being. We know that the investment, job opportunities and skills that fashion retailers bring to countries, particularly developing countries, can be hugely beneficial for these countries and their citizens. However, we also know that without adequate safeguards, workers can be exploited or even enslaved, and as we have seen recently, lives can be lost. This report aims to empower consumers to purchase ethically while encouraging companies to ensure that the workers that produce the products they sell are protected and not harmed, that they are rewarded, not exploited and that they work free from the tyranny of modern slavery

Do you know the naked truth about what you're wearing?

What is the real cost of your three dollar t-shirt? If you\u27re a fashion lover you might recognise a designer label, but can you tell where the fabric came from? Or who dyed the cotton? A new report is being released today scrutinises this very thing. So, how much do you know about where your clothes come from? And what would you like to know? How do you navigate the facts and ethics of it all