“Out of the shadows: A spotlight on exploitation in the fashion industry”, September 2020

… [T]he Clean Clothes Campaign report "Out of the shadows" shines a light on the poor work practices and poverty wages of the garment sector. The report found that despite their sweeping promises, none of the surveyed brands can prove that all workers in their supply chain earn a living wage.

• Questionnaires were sent to 108 brands and retailers from 14 countries…
• Brand research reveals that not a single brand included pays a living wage to all workers in their supply chain, despite numerous pledges to do so…
• The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated unpaid wages and job insecurity for garment workers, as brands such as Arcadia (Topshop), Bestseller, C&A, Primark and Walmart (Asda) have cancelled orders and imposed discounts on suppliers.

Whilst the brand research itself shows that no brand pays a living wage to all workers in their supply chain, the field research brings to life the poor work practices that are hidden behind the numbers.

… The failure of brands to pay living wages is intrinsically linked to a lack of transparency. Whilst brands make grand promises of sustainability and ethical production, behind the scenes they wield immense power to pick and choose between low-wage economies.