Bigger Battle Between Threads- Everyone Deserves To Eat
By: ZaNaria Bowens
July 12, 2021
From Warehouses To Stores
The fine threads woven together for your simple tee’s, shorts, and garments that you wear have a deeper story to tell following post-Covid-19. Asia Floor Wage Association (AFWA) brings attention to the wage gap that the workers in facilities are left to suffer.
First identified on The Business of Fashion, there is a severe wage gap in the post-Covid era that the AFWA inaugurated advocates for individuals in factories in Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. “Labour groups have reported increases in incidents of union-busting and wage theft, as well as growing debt among garment workers, tracing the issues back to brands that canceled orders, delayed payments or demanded discounts during the pandemic” (Kent, Sarah The Business of Fashion).
Bangladeshi female workers work at a garments factory in Gazipur outskirts of Dhaka on February 17, 2018.
Wage Gap In The Global Supply Chain
The persisting issues are now becoming more apparent considering a serious money heist stemming from the Covid-19 wage theft. Similar to stopping crimes on streets to protect members of the communities, the same notion is advocated globally. Across the country, many fight for criminal justice reform in billions of dollars not paid to people working in these supply chains. Many are left undervalued, shortened workdays, unpaid, and put at fault, while factory workers aren’t recognized as business partners in this industry. Overall, brands are pushing workers deeper into deeper both physically and mentally.
As the Demand for Fashion Increases, There is a Demand for Pay
(FILES) In this file photo taken on December 16, 2019,
In the efforts to keep brands successful during the Covid-19 pandemic and post-Covid era, factory workers are to be represented to ensure everyone is supported across the region. Government officials funded many brands, but many have failed to recognize the consequence of labor exploitation.
Where are the legal violations? Are they getting challenged to ensure decent employment and wage protection?
Low value pushed down labor costs driving down the cost of clothing, making the price cheaper. Everyone experienced during the pandemic is unprecedented, limiting the basic rights for individuals to provide for their families in surrounding countries in Asia.