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Article

26 Jul 2019

Author:
Dean Kirby, iNews

UK: Study finds garment factory workers in Manchester being paid below minimum wage, linked to 'unfair purchasing practices' of fast fashion brands

"UK's demand for fast fashion hits workers' welfare as Manchester garment workers 'paid £4 an hour'", 26 July 2019

Garment workers in Manchester are... earning as little as £4 an hour – well below the National Living Wage of £8.21... – according to “concerning evidence” uncovered by... Homeworkers’ Worldwide...

One Manchester worker told the study: “We’re paid in cash. They give us pay slips, but they only show 16 hours a week, whereas in fact we’re doing many more hours than that. We’re paid around £500 a month.”...

Manufacturers also told the investigators they faced challenges due to large retailers’ “unfair purchasing practices”. They said this included driving down prices so it was impossible for them to pay workers properly – and leaving invoices unpaid for months, causing cash flow problems that could leave them unable to pay their workers...

The report concludes: “We recognise that often employers are not in a position to make significant changes, because their customers, the main high street and online retailers, are unwilling to pay the higher prices that this would require.”

The study says high street firms should start giving incentives to UK manufacturers committed to improving conditions by offering them bigger or more regular orders...