The tragedy in Dhaka has rightly focused attention on the appalling safety record of the sweatshops in which much of the West’s clothing and consumer gadgets are produced. Many have already called for a boycott of the cheap clothing sold by Primark and the rest. Part of me is instinctively in sympathy; part of me also holds back. It reminds me of a debate during my student days: should we eat South African oranges? For some, it was a simple matter. How could we possibly eat anything produced under apartheid? For others, it was more nuanced. If we didn’t buy South African oranges, what would be the effect on South African farm-workers and their families? As far as I can recall, we never settled the question either way.
I am doubtful whether a boycott of cheap clothing would do anything per se to improve the living and working conditions of Bangladeshi workers. For one thing, I think it would be difficult to achieve. There are too many people struggling at the economic margins of the West who will buy what they can afford, not what they would like to be able to afford. Retailers know that, and half the skill of retailing is to match price-point and production-cost in such a way that a profit can be made. Simplistic? Yes, but we live under a capitalist system where making a profit is a necessary part of the economic cycle. Even if a boycott were achieved, what would it do for the thousands of Bangladeshis who rely on the meagre income they obtain from their work in the garment factories? Without an alternative in place, they would surely starve.
The fact that something is difficult is no argument that nothing should be done. Anyone familiar with Catholic Social Teaching knows that fairness and sustainability in the workplace are moral imperatives, not just nice, middle-class add-ons. I don’t know what solution to propose but I am saddened that it takes yet another disaster of this kind to focus attention on the problem. We are talking about human beings, not abstractions. As we pray for those killed or injured and their families, let us also ask the Holy Spirit to inspire us with whatever is necessary to change things for the better. ‘No man is an island,’ said Donne. No indeed; and we in the West are diminished by the death of our brothers and sisters in Dhaka.
St Mark’s Day
Today is the feast of St Mark. Why not make a point of reading through St Mark’s Gospel (it is quite short) from start to finish, and preferably out of doors. You’ll notice, among other things, what a delight he takes in the natural world, e.g. mentioning the green grass on which the disciples sat where other evanglists state more baldly that ‘they sat down’.
I think that a boycott in this particular case of Primark who apparently source their garments in this way won’t achieve anything, apart from harming the poor and vulnerable workers used to produce them.
Surely, the moral imperative is to encourage Primark to adopt a ‘fair trade’ policy and only source their products from manufacturers who operate a safe workplace and pay a living wage to their workers.
I remember as a child the ‘sweat shops’ in the East End of London (my Sister worked in one) producing cheap clothing, furniture and anything which could be sold quickly and cheaply. Eventually, the Factories Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 drove most of them out of business or quicker turnaround of shipping made it cheaper to make them overseas using cheaper labour and without the worker protection legislation here.
One evil replaced by another.
One commentator on Radio 4 this morning reported that there are 4 million deaths caused annually by similar workplace tragedies, most of which are unreported in the UK as they are not considered to be of interest (e.g. if they occur in former French colonies instead of British ones).
This is an appalling total, and it needs a global effort to stem this tide, perhaps through the efforts of international trade organisations.
Thank you for this post! Personally, I haven’t shopped in Primark for years, and I try to think carefully and critically about where I’m prepared to spend my money.
One of my big passions is fair trade and I work in an independent fair trade shop, Just, in Leicester. We stock some great fair trade clothes from a number of different suppliers – great ethical fashion is out there, provided you’re prepared to look for it and pay a fair price.
There’s also a really thought-provoking book, Overdressed: The shockingly high price of cheap fashion, by Elizabeth Cline which should be a must-read for anyone interested in ethical clothing issues.
Thank you for this post! Personally, I haven’t shopped in Primark for years, and I try to think carefully and critically about where I’m prepared to spend my money.
One of my big passions is fair trade and I work in an independent fair trade shop, Just, in Leicester. We stock some great fair trade clothes from a number of different suppliers – great ethical fashion is out there, provided you’re prepared to look for it and pay a fair price.
You all need to check your facts first. Primark has the best programme of auditing it suppliers and even their suppliers of any high street store ensuring no child labour, at least min wages paid, crèches provided for working mums etc. cost of a shops cloths does not equal how they look after their responsibilities