Systemic human rights abuses pervade the global garment industry, from poverty pay, long working hours anddenial of trade union rights to significant risks to workers’ health and safety through unsafe buildings, heat, lack of ventilation, no access to clean drinking water and restricted access to the bathroom, and use of dangerous chemicals. Violence and abuse are commonplace, and workers are often attacked or even killed for joining a union and demanding better working conditions.
Long hours, often 10-14 hours a day plus forced overtime, of repetitive work often leads to injuries which go undiagnosed. Workers who cannot keep up with production due to pain or discomfort are fired. When pressure is on to fulfil large orders workers can be forced to work 18 hours a day. If workers refuse overtime there have been reports of them being fined or even fired.
Many factories have no emergency exits or they lock the doors and bar the windows to deter theft, causing many people to die when a factory fire occurs. For example, the Ali Enterprises fire in Pakistan, 2012, where 254 people died and over 55 more were seriously injured as workers remained trapped in a burning building.
Factories are being set up cheaply in buildings not designed to house heavy machinery, leading to building collapses and worker deaths.
The garment industry operates under a veil of secrecy with an almost total lack of transparency enabling ongoing exploitation of workers.