Discount retailers discount labour

An investigation by the Guardian newspaper has again uncovered serious breaches of international labour standards by many of the factories supplying some of the UK's best known high street stores and supermarkets. Workers report having to work 80 hours or more a week, up to 12 hours a day and forced to work overtime to complete orders. Wages are so low (as little as 4p an hour) that many struggle to getby. While being sacked for taking sick leave and verbal abuse by supervisors is common place.

Workers at factories supplying Primark, George at Asda and Tesco are refused access to trade unions while a number of workers had recently been sacked for attempting to organise a union. Workers also reported a climate of perpetual fear in which physical intimidation plays a part. One woman described witnessing a supervisor physically assaulting a colleague when she failed to meet her targets. While a worker in a factory making jeans for Primark described how he had been sacked for missing two days work when he took his daughter to hospital.

Both Asda and Primark admit that there is "considerable concern" over workers rights and pay. However, one factory owner pointed out that he would "be the happiest man in the world if I could provide my workers with good money, air conditioning, health benefits. They are like children to me. But if I cannot cover the costs of running a factory, it will close." He went on to explain that: "Buyers who come to Bangladesh tell us, 'we are businessmen, we want to make money. If we see cheaper prices in China we will go there'."

With discount retailers attempting to maximise their profits by driving down costs it is clear that all discount retailers are going to have to look at how they source their garments. War on Want, said: "Price wars between the three retailers Asda, Tesco and Primark have driven the price of high street clothing down to 50% of what everyone else is charging. You have this relentless pressure on suppliers to keep costs down and, faced with these incredibly powerful retailers, suppliers in Bangladesh and China have no room for manoeuvre. Even the ETI have agreed that the buying practices of the UK retailer sector are driving down wages and having a negative effect on working practices."

http://www.terramar.co.uk/pages/cafe/comment/high-street-retailers-still-using-sweatshop/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/supermarkets/story/0,,2127241,00.html

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