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Embroidered T-shirt: Price £4, cost misery Embroidered T-shirt. Price: £4. Cost: Misery
(about 3 hours later)
From sweatshop to High Street: children sew sequins on to a Primark night vestFrom sweatshop to High Street: children sew sequins on to a Primark night vest
Primark is rightly being exposed over the use of child labour in the finishing of cheap clothes. But as evidence against retailers stacks up, shoppers are kidding themselves if they don't shoulder some of the blame, says Dan McDougall.Primark is rightly being exposed over the use of child labour in the finishing of cheap clothes. But as evidence against retailers stacks up, shoppers are kidding themselves if they don't shoulder some of the blame, says Dan McDougall.
The key question behind sweatshop investigations into major corporations like Monday night's Panorama special on Primark is abundantly clear: do consumers, the UK shoppers who spend billions in the High Street, truly care where their £4 hand-finished blouse comes from? The answer, to the shops at least, is yes. And it is reflected in the growth of ethical sourcing policies led by firms like Marks and Spencer's.The key question behind sweatshop investigations into major corporations like Monday night's Panorama special on Primark is abundantly clear: do consumers, the UK shoppers who spend billions in the High Street, truly care where their £4 hand-finished blouse comes from? The answer, to the shops at least, is yes. And it is reflected in the growth of ethical sourcing policies led by firms like Marks and Spencer's.
A decade ago the duties of a corporation were almost exclusively focused on one thing: profit.A decade ago the duties of a corporation were almost exclusively focused on one thing: profit.
Now, though, corporate social responsibility appears to be in the ascendant. Episodes such as the Enron boardroom scandal and exposés of retailers' reliance on child labour, like the one I carried out into Gap Inc last year, have forced companies to be more open and honest. They do this because they believe the consumer cares about where his morning coffee comes from or the shirt he puts on his back before going to work. Collusion between retailers, consumers and glossy mags, with all their 'dress for less' features, has anaesthetised most of us from the murky, circuitous supply routes of international fashion Lucy Siegle Gap acts over Indian child labourNow, though, corporate social responsibility appears to be in the ascendant. Episodes such as the Enron boardroom scandal and exposés of retailers' reliance on child labour, like the one I carried out into Gap Inc last year, have forced companies to be more open and honest. They do this because they believe the consumer cares about where his morning coffee comes from or the shirt he puts on his back before going to work. Collusion between retailers, consumers and glossy mags, with all their 'dress for less' features, has anaesthetised most of us from the murky, circuitous supply routes of international fashion Lucy Siegle Gap acts over Indian child labour
"Transparency" has become the watchword, and the mere mention of sweatshops now makes clothing manufacturers such as Primark or The Gap anxious."Transparency" has become the watchword, and the mere mention of sweatshops now makes clothing manufacturers such as Primark or The Gap anxious.
Transparency is what Gap displayed in response to revelations about their production process and what Primark claims it is trying to do by firing three of its key Indian suppliers in the run up to tonight's Panorama documentary. To its credit, Gap admitted the problem, sought to fix it and promised to radically re-examine the working practices of its Indian contractors.Transparency is what Gap displayed in response to revelations about their production process and what Primark claims it is trying to do by firing three of its key Indian suppliers in the run up to tonight's Panorama documentary. To its credit, Gap admitted the problem, sought to fix it and promised to radically re-examine the working practices of its Indian contractors.
But increasingly it is consumers, and not the corporations, who have the biggest role to play in the fight against exploitation.But increasingly it is consumers, and not the corporations, who have the biggest role to play in the fight against exploitation.
"The public has a major role to play in the fight against child labour," says Bhuwan Ribhu, of the New Delhi-based Global March Against Child Labour, which leads the campaign against under-age working in the sub-continent. "They need to learn more about who makes the products they buy, and support organisations with programmes to stop child labour. Raise funds, join campaigns and talk to friends to make more people aware of the seriousness of the issue.""The public has a major role to play in the fight against child labour," says Bhuwan Ribhu, of the New Delhi-based Global March Against Child Labour, which leads the campaign against under-age working in the sub-continent. "They need to learn more about who makes the products they buy, and support organisations with programmes to stop child labour. Raise funds, join campaigns and talk to friends to make more people aware of the seriousness of the issue."
"What happened with Gap and now with Primark should be a key indicator to all consumers. The sad reality is many major retail firms know, but don't dare to admit, what outsourcing to India means. Employing cheap labour without successful auditing and investigation of your contractors inevitably means children will be used somewhere along the chain.""What happened with Gap and now with Primark should be a key indicator to all consumers. The sad reality is many major retail firms know, but don't dare to admit, what outsourcing to India means. Employing cheap labour without successful auditing and investigation of your contractors inevitably means children will be used somewhere along the chain."
Shopper-turned-inquisitorShopper-turned-inquisitor
This may not be what shoppers want to hear, Mr Ribhu concedes, "as they pull off fresh clothes from clean racks in stores". Shoppers give the impression they're not bothered, says SiegleThis may not be what shoppers want to hear, Mr Ribhu concedes, "as they pull off fresh clothes from clean racks in stores". Shoppers give the impression they're not bothered, says Siegle
"But consumers in the UK should be thinking this: why am I only paying £4 for a hand embroidered top? This item looks handmade. Who made it for such little cost? Is this top stained with a child's suffering and sweat? That's what shoppers need to first ask themselves and then go to their favourite stores and ask for assurances that it is not the case.""But consumers in the UK should be thinking this: why am I only paying £4 for a hand embroidered top? This item looks handmade. Who made it for such little cost? Is this top stained with a child's suffering and sweat? That's what shoppers need to first ask themselves and then go to their favourite stores and ask for assurances that it is not the case."
Journalist Lucy Siegle, a leading authority on consumer ethics, believes UK shoppers have a conscience but are somehow fooled into believing goods are ethically sourced.Journalist Lucy Siegle, a leading authority on consumer ethics, believes UK shoppers have a conscience but are somehow fooled into believing goods are ethically sourced.
"Most consumers would be horrified if they found out that anything they owned had been made in sweatshop conditions or through child labour, or both," says Siegle, who writers for the Observer. "It is simply not true to say that they don't care.""Most consumers would be horrified if they found out that anything they owned had been made in sweatshop conditions or through child labour, or both," says Siegle, who writers for the Observer. "It is simply not true to say that they don't care."
However, it seems people forget those thoughts when they go clothes shopping, she believes.However, it seems people forget those thoughts when they go clothes shopping, she believes.
"There is a disconnect between what people care about and how they stock their wardrobes. Why? The value retailers have sold themselves as democratisers of fashion. Ostensibly the consumer is taught to think we've never had it so good - really fashionable clothes, so cheap as to be disposable.""There is a disconnect between what people care about and how they stock their wardrobes. Why? The value retailers have sold themselves as democratisers of fashion. Ostensibly the consumer is taught to think we've never had it so good - really fashionable clothes, so cheap as to be disposable."
Blocking uncertaintyBlocking uncertainty
"Collusion between the High Street retailers, the consumer and the glossy mags with all their 'dress for less' features means that has anaesthetised most of us from the murky, circuitous supply routes of international fashion and the demands [this puts] on garment workers in say India or Bangladesh." Gap admitted its problem and has sought to fix it"Collusion between the High Street retailers, the consumer and the glossy mags with all their 'dress for less' features means that has anaesthetised most of us from the murky, circuitous supply routes of international fashion and the demands [this puts] on garment workers in say India or Bangladesh." Gap admitted its problem and has sought to fix it
"Until this magic spell is broken, the consumer will keep shopping and giving the impression that they're not bothered. The knock-on effects of this - for consumers - are that our wardrobes are bursting with redundant fast fashion (two million tonnes of textiles are dumped in the UK every year), without us knowing anything about its origins; there's nothing on the label apart from washing instructions. We continue to block uncertainty out of their minds.""Until this magic spell is broken, the consumer will keep shopping and giving the impression that they're not bothered. The knock-on effects of this - for consumers - are that our wardrobes are bursting with redundant fast fashion (two million tonnes of textiles are dumped in the UK every year), without us knowing anything about its origins; there's nothing on the label apart from washing instructions. We continue to block uncertainty out of their minds."
Lucy like many experts in the field believes the BBC's investigation into Primark should now act as a watermark; a line in the sand for both retailers and customers:Lucy like many experts in the field believes the BBC's investigation into Primark should now act as a watermark; a line in the sand for both retailers and customers:
"We've had twelve years of excuses from retailers and manufacturers, this now has to change. It is a massive consumer issue. Who wants to wear something made by a kid crouched over a table in some fetid hell hole? We need to know the real trade off. If retailers say they can provide clothes for nothing without abusing basic human rights and exploiting workers, we should start asking for some real proof of these rather strange economics.""We've had twelve years of excuses from retailers and manufacturers, this now has to change. It is a massive consumer issue. Who wants to wear something made by a kid crouched over a table in some fetid hell hole? We need to know the real trade off. If retailers say they can provide clothes for nothing without abusing basic human rights and exploiting workers, we should start asking for some real proof of these rather strange economics."
But if shoppers are slowly starting to wake up to the horrors of child labour, developing world suppliers are more determined than ever to keep the prying eyes of foreigners away from their units. My experience in reporting such stories in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka shows they are even willing to resort to violence.But if shoppers are slowly starting to wake up to the horrors of child labour, developing world suppliers are more determined than ever to keep the prying eyes of foreigners away from their units. My experience in reporting such stories in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka shows they are even willing to resort to violence.
Whilst carrying out an undercover investigation for The Observer last year I was badly beaten in a sweatshop in the lawless Haryana State border area of northern India pursuing the story.Whilst carrying out an undercover investigation for The Observer last year I was badly beaten in a sweatshop in the lawless Haryana State border area of northern India pursuing the story.
But I got off lightly compared to the fate of some others, says Bhuwan Ribhu.But I got off lightly compared to the fate of some others, says Bhuwan Ribhu.
"We have lost a number of activists, murdered in the course of their duties, others have been dragged in chains behind cars and had threats made against their families. A lot of money is at stake here and life becomes cheap in such a desperate and greed-filled environment. Remember, above all, the money that is creating this desperation comes directly from the wallets of Western consumers.""We have lost a number of activists, murdered in the course of their duties, others have been dragged in chains behind cars and had threats made against their families. A lot of money is at stake here and life becomes cheap in such a desperate and greed-filled environment. Remember, above all, the money that is creating this desperation comes directly from the wallets of Western consumers."
Dan McDougall is a foreign correspondent with the Observer.


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