Most fashion companies rely on their suppliers to make their garments. Fibres and textiles tend to be sourced from other countries then processed and manufactured into garments in different companies scattered around the world.
Transport is required between each of these multiple stages – from seed depot to farmer, farmer to mill, then to processing plants, weavers, finishers, cutters then manufacturing – as well as to storage depots and the High Street, before finally arriving in your hands. Your garment could potentially travel around the world several times with each journey adding to the cost of your garment, both financially and environmentally, as trucks, trains and planes all produce high counts of CO2.
One solution is to develop local infrastructures that comprise of all stages of the supply chain. Up until World War I the British cotton industry was not only 100% produced in Britain, it dominated the global textile market, with 7 out of 8 British workers producing cotton for export. When overseas garment workers began to be forced to work for a pittance, overseas cotton and clothing became cheaper, and the British apparel industry declined to almost beyond recovery.
Because the UK minimum wage is closer to a fair living wage than that of our overseas competitors, British wages are inevitably higher. There have been instances of wage slavery in the UK, both for locals desperate for work and for people trafficked into the UK. Wage slavery and child labour both escalated during the refugee crisis throughout Europe and Eurasia.
Wage slavery can only be eradicated by paying a fair price for our clothes
Demand for garments ‘Made in Britain’ is gaining momentum, with more consumers appreciating the value of British skills and heritage. They also understand that wage slavery can only be eradicated by paying a fair price for our clothes.
Business for UK factories is growing, but the artisans and garment workers currently employed by the UK garment industry are reaching retirement age and many of their skills are no longer taught in UK colleges. An investment into apprenticeships will be needed to attract younger workers to replace them.
Article taken from Ethical Rebel magazine issue 01
