Cheap clothing and conscience
The recent collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory shocked the world. The death toll increased exponentially after the April 24 event, with a final tally exceeding 1,100. That factory workers had been ordered to return to work after structural cracks were discovered the day before was incomprehensible.
But Bangladesh is far away and our news media have largely moved on. We have too, except for a fleeting memory or two when we inspect cheap clothing at our favourite mega store. It's easy to forget, especially when the price is right.
And the price is definitely right—Canadians buy prodigious quantities of clothing, with most being discarded when they are barely worn in, never mind worn out.
"We get so many clothes that we can be very selective in what we display for sale," the local thrift store manager told me. "About every 10 days we ship a tandem truck load of clothes that ends up overseas."
How should Canadians who care about poor garment workers in Third World countries respond? The issues are complex and there is more than enough blame to go around. A simplistic response may do more harm than good. Not buying Bangladeshi-made clothing could deprive people of their livelihood, inadequate as it may be. And it's easy for retailers to shift production to another country.
Improved working conditions will only happen if big retailers start making decisions that are based on more than cost. Media reports indicate that in 2011 Walmart played a prominent role in rejecting an effort to get global retailers to pay more to help Bangladesh factories improve their electrical and fire safety.
At a meeting of retailers a week after the collapse, Walmart was one of 15 North American retailers that refused to sign a new "Accord on Factory and Building Safety in Bangladesh." Thirty-eight companies had signed by May 23, 2013.
Most brand name apparel is made in Third World factories, many with deplorable working conditions. That is unlikely to change any time soon.
Fortunately, there are several important ways you can make a difference. Gradual change will happen if enough people work together to do a little bit each.
Vote with your money—but don't stop there! Check the purchasing policies of your favourite retailer before you buy. Then let them know why you are—or aren't—one of their customers.
Look for more targeted solutions such as Fair Trade (think coffee) that could improve the income and working conditions of company workers.
Lobby your political representatives to hold retailers accountable to audit their supply chain to stop modern day slavery.
And keep talking about it. As long as this remains a hot topic, the news media, politicians and retailers will listen. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing (attributed to Edmund Burke). Solomon used even more pointed language: "but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed" (Proverbs 28:27b).
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