“#PAYUP FASHION INDUSTRY”

In times of crisis, it is the most vulnerable people in society who suffer the most impact. This is the situation currently for the millions of workers in the fashion industry who make our clothes, shoes, bags, etc, most of them women. Irony is that, in this time of need, the fashion industry is failing its workers.

According to Fashion Revolution, its common practice in fashion industry for brands to pay their suppliers months after delivery. So suppliers pay upfront for the materials used to make products, incurring cost while waiting for incoming payments. Now, with the chaos created by the corona virus pandemic major fashion brands are cancelling orders & stopping payments, shirking responsibility towards its global supply chain, even when the work has already been done.

Of course, even the brands are in crisis but they can’t shift the financial burden onto the supply chain, especially when most have reported hundreds of millions of dollars (some even in billion) in profit in recent years.

Bloomberg reported that in Bangladesh alone, ~1,089 garment factories had over $1.5 billion worth orders cancelled putting millions of garment workers in sourcing markets like Bangladesh, India & Cambodia out of work. These workers have no access to food, healthcare or pay.

As if the everyday exploitation of labor by #FastFashion wasn’t enough, now they are leaving the very people who are responsible for creating these brands high & dry? In normal times, these laborers are often paid a wage of mere $60 a month, which is worth a pair of t-shirt for some of us. This means that  with much meager earnings, they don't have any savings and are with zero safety-net, unlike us & those fashion behemoths, to sustain themselves. It’s a shame that these corporations are not willing to pay their fair share, especially in times of crisis when they need it the most.

So, as conscious citizens, I am asking for your support to help save the lives of millions of women who make our clothes.

✔️ GOOD THING IS - WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION.

Remake, a storytelling platform committed to building a conscious consumer movement, has launched #PayUp campaign demanding these brands to pay their dues and to also help support garment workers through factory closures due to #coronavirus. Remake is digging up the list of brands who are not paying their dues, exposing their names and tagging them on social media and asking consumers to demand from them to pay up.

The question is, how can you help?

Honestly with some simple activism and by standing up for the rights of these workers, digitally, you can help them in times of crisis. Here are a few simple things each one of us can do:

1. First and foremost, hold the brands accountable for their failure to pay. Share a picture of you with #PayUp sign asking defaulting brands to act. Brands like ASOS, JCPenney, Primark, Gap Inc, Banana Republic, Next need to act and not just promise.
   
   How to identify brands that are not holding up their payment commitments? Worker Rights Consortium has started a brand tracker naming brands that are still refusing to pay for orders placed before the outbreak of the crisis. You can get the list of defaulting fashion brands here.


2. Sign the petition by Change.org and help save the lives of millions of workers, mostly women, who make our clothes


3. Donate to NGOs who are providing support to garment makers. Fashion Revolution recommends the following NGOs that you can donate to:
   
   AWAJ Foundation – A non-profit organisation founded and led by garment workers in Bangladesh that provides support to over 740,000 workers. Donations will go directly to workers who have lost their jobs. This will mainly be in the form of cash disbursements to make sure that their basic needs for food and shelter are met. If you would like to make a contribution then please write to: awaj@dhaka.net.
   
   The Garment Worker Centre – A non-profit organising and community space in Los Angeles that supports tens of thousands of low paid garment workers, especially immigrant and undocumented workers, women of colour, and their families. You can donate here: https://garmentworkercenter.org/
   
   GoodWeave International — An non-profit organisation working to end forced and child labour in global supply chains. They have launched the COVID-19 Child and Worker Protection Fund to deliver immediate humanitarian aid and services to vulnerable populations in India, Nepal and Afghanistan. Money raised will pay for the delivery of food and resources to workers and their children. Donate here.
   
   World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) has launched the #StayHomeLiveFair campaign to support its global network of workers, farmers, artisans and communities during the crisis. You can support by visiting their webshop and supporting their members’ crowdfunding efforts, here.
   
   CARE - The global social justice NGO, has been working in the garment industry for over 20 years and is focusing on protecting and supporting the rights and needs of women and girls during the pandemic. CARE’s Emergency Surge Fund is matching all donations and using funds to urgently provide families with hygienic masks, hand washing stations and hygiene kits. Donate here.


4. Support sustainable brands that are giving back to help support the workers who are out of jobs and suffering. Identify sustainable brands who are donating part of their revenues and supporting these workers. By shopping from these brands, you can spend your money for good.
   
   And even after Covid-19 pandemic, commit to shop from ethical brands that pay fairly to their labour, use sustainable production practices that don't harm the people producing the items and takes care of their well-being, don't pollute the planet and are kind to the animals.
   
   There are so many beautiful brands that work so hard to keep our planet safe while keeping a high standard of design. Let’s commit to be more conscious buyers....