Mezzadri, Alessandra

Ruwanpura, Kanchana

English

Ruwanpura, Kanchana N.

SOAS Research Online

03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 1/7AuthorsAlessandra MezzadriSenior Lecturer in Development Studies,SOAS, University of LondonKanchana N RuwanpuraAcademic rigour, journalistic flairPersonal protective equipment (PPE) has arguably become the most sought-aftercommodity in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global shortage of thisequipment. This has created an opportunity for garment factories across Asia, whichhave lots of spare capacity because their clothing is in much less demand than usual.High street chains in the UK and elsewhere could have immediately paid theirgarment suppliers to make PPE rather than clothes, but did not. Many simply cancelled millions of orders, which ended up putting thousands of Asian workers outon the streets. Many garment workers didn’t even receive monthly wages due tothem. This was despite global campaigning by trade unions, such as those in Bangladesh.Find expert insight and analysis, from coronavirus to climatechange, in our daily newsletter.EPAHow Asia’s clothing factories switched to making PPE – butsweatshop problems live onJune 29, 2020 5.43am BST03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 2/7Reader in Development Geography,University of EdinburghOnly a few western brands such as Barbour eventually started converting their supplychains to make PPE. In most cases, Asian manufacturers just took their owninitiative.Asia’s big shiftChina was already the largest PPE exporter before the pandemic, providing almost half of the worldsupply of face masks, protective gowns, gloves and goggles in 2018. In the first two months of 2020,China’s PPE exports dipped by about 15% as its own demand for these products rose sharply, with thegovernment preventing some consignments from leaving the country.However, from March, Chinese PPE exports rebounded as the virus spread west. China was able tomeet these orders with help from many garment manufacturers, in a bid to answer mounting callsfrom other countries for tighter quality control of PPE.Elsewhere, Sri Lanka has secured a significant niche in the PPE supply chain, having won at leastUS$500 million (£402 million) in orders during the crisis. Notably, lingerie manufacturer MASHoldings advertised a move into PPE production using its trademark slogan, “Change is Courage”.Malaysia has enjoyed a massive rise in rubber gloves exports. With as much as 65% of all medicalgloves made in the country, the US embassy tweeted in March that “the world relies on Malaysia”. Thecountry has also seen numerous garment businesses moving into PPE.Worker making PPE in Sri Lanka.03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 3/7Meanwhile, India is now the second largest PPE producer after China, having only started making thisequipment earlier in the year. India was manufacturing 450,000 PPE suits a day in May, and aimingto hit 2 million by the end of June. While Indian production has so far only targeted the domesticmarket, the government has just announced it will soon allow the export of 5 million PPE suits amonth.Bangalore is producing 50% of India’s PPE kits, thanks to a garment centre dominated by theGokaldas empire, which employs thousands of women. Production has also risen massively inTiruppur in Tamil Nadu state, normally a T-shirt centre. Over 600 Indian companies are now lab-certified for PPE, including top garment and textile exporters Alok Industries, JCT Phagwara,Gokaldas Exports and Aditya Birla.With a population of well over a billion, and around 37,000 public health facilities, India needs astaggering quantity of PPE as the pandemic worsens. As it emerges from a tough lockdown that stillthreatens an economic crisis, the country should arguably make PPE for all workers in sectors thatneed to reopen, such as agriculture. This would get the economy moving, while employing even morepeople in PPE production.Yet producing billions of PPE kits may be unviable – even the fast-fashion supply chain can onlychurn things out so fast. There are also serious issues about environmental waste and disposable equipment, both in India and around the world.Beyond Asia, the PPE supply chain has also extended to garment factories in countries such as Kenyaand Madagascar. This is being supported by the World Bank, again with a view to sustainingemployment.Indian healthcare volunteers in Mumbai. EPA03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 4/7Job opportunities and abusesOn the positive side, this shift into PPE has protected and created jobs. In India, where global buyerslike H&M continue cancelling orders and labour protests roll on, PPE production may mean re-employing at least some of the hundreds of thousands of garment workers who joined the exodus of migrant labour leaving cities early in the pandemic. In Sri Lanka, PPE is potentially providing alivelihood for 300,000 workers.On the other hand, there’s so much pressure to keep up with orders that it is possible that manyfactories are running sweatshop conditions and other abusive practices carried over from their usualoperations. The PPE supply chain was already known for labour abuses. For instance, recent evidenceindicated the use of child labour in surgical instruments production in Pakistan. In Malaysia, thereare media reports of Nepali migrant workers in rubber glove factories being subjected to severe abuse.In China, recent findings suggest the widespread use of Uighur forced labour in numerous sectors,potentially including PPE. During lockdown in India, some states have suspended existing legislation,making it possible for factories to use forced labour. Others have passed legislation extending the working day from eight to 12 hours. At the same time, it is worth pointing out that some countriessuch as Sri Lanka are known to impose more rigorous standards on their factories.More generally, garment workers worldwide may not actually have access to the PPE equipment theymake. They deserve to be included in the list of key workers in responding to the pandemic. We tendto think of the key workers helping us as only being in our own country, but this is clearly mistaken.As such, we should be particularly concerned about labour abuses, and do whatever we can to opposethem. Those who are saving our lives should not themselves live their lives under threat. TheseAfghan refugees making PPE in a unit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. EPA03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 5/7China Sri Lanka India Malaysia Coronavirus Factory workers COVID-19 PPEworkers, who were the backbone of the global economy, are now stitching its safety net.Before you go...From coronavirus to climate change, science is at the heart of our changingsociety. We seek to help people understand that science is vital to the health ofour planet and ourselves. A donation to The Conversation will help ensure thatscientists’ knowledge reaches as many people as possible.You might also likeCoronavirus: asymptomatic people can still develop lung damage03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 6/7Coronavirus: Beijing outbreak shows China’s plan for preventing a second waveHow deforestation helps deadly viruses jump from animals to humans03/07/2020 How Asia's clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live onhttps://theconversation.com/how-asias-clothing-factories-switched-to-making-ppe-but-sweatshop-problems-live-on-141396 7/7Coronavirus responses highlight how humans are hardwired to dismiss facts that don’tfit their worldview

How Asia’s clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live on

https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/33160/1/How%20Asia%27s%20clothing%20factories%20switched%20to%20making%20PPE%20%E2%80%93%20but%20sweatshop%20problems%20live%20on.pdf

How Asia’s clothing factories switched to making PPE – but sweatshop problems live on

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