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  • egyptian towels: This needs more awareness. I think I will post something about it on my blog as I didn't realise before.
  • Katie: I work 8.30 - 17.00 as a driver in the motor trade mon-fri and 8am-12 every other Sat, my Boss takes 30 mins every day off my wage for lunch, although today as an example I had 12 mins to eat my lunch and get a coffee, sometimes i don't get a break at all, is this legal as am driving all day?? oh and 17.00 finish?? pah! never finish on time but don't get paid over time.
  • Sina Mirzaei: I work for New look in United Kingdom as a sales assistant and my ambition is to work my way up to a level where I'll be monitoring working condition for our employees overseas. I'm actually in process of becoming an supervisor if by any chance I get the job I'll definitely end up in this field and this article has truly inspired me to do more for our staff in terms of support and creating much friendlier atmosphere at work.
  • Alana Smith: Thanks for sharing Martin. It appears that where the improvement of human rights is the ultimate goal, there is always a tricky balance to mainain. As you describe yourself, acknowledging and supporting the actions that some governments have taken to protect human rights is incredibly important otherwise NGOs are considered one-sided and unnecessarily adversarial, always wanting to pick a fight. Equally important, however, is the importance of continuing to remind governments of their responsibility to protect the human rights of workers in their country whom they are reliant on for economic growth. Migrant workers and those working in low paid jobs whose rights often fail to be protected must be seen as more than economic units of labour but as humans whose rights must be recognised and protected. Keep the updates coming through!
  • Alana Smith: Thanks for sharing your success in Bangladesh with some of New Look's suppliers. Whilst I'm not from the UK, I gather that New Look is quite a popular brand - not only are you creating a better working environment for workers at one end of the supply chain - you are also opening up purchaser's eyes to the impact of their purchasing power. Be interesting to know how much New Look advertises/promotes the improvements in their supply chain over the past few years. Keep the updates coming!
  • Kamal: Actually the problem only can be solved when you start thinking like a human being. Untill you put yourself in their shues you can't understand their problems.
  • Peter Hyatt: www.seamusoriley.blogspot.com Stacey clearly is mature beyond her years and not at all self absorbed as others. The new guy, from the farm, was a refreshing replacement. Josh's change was fascinating Above all, however, was the comments offered by Stacey. I could not help but think how proud her parents must be. Compassionate, hard working and ladylike throughout. The cursing by some was a sad thing and the lazy character was unbearable Thanks for a good article! Peter Hyatt. Maine USA
  • Shim: very good point, well i'm thinking about this as my master desertation topic relating to branding effect. is there anybody has any idea plz send me
  • cara barnhart: Will be looking for the fair trade stamp on purchases thanks to the show....real eye opener
  • Roger: My wife is currently working 12 hour shifts. Theoretically she gets one 20-minute break and two ten-minute breaks in 12 hours. In practice they are presently so short-staffed that they get no breaks whatsoever. Is this permitted even for the short-term emergency?
  • Jason: We are enjoying the show, but I find that Manos is a spoiled rotten brat, as well as an embarrassment.
  • Pete: I am a delivery driver i only get 20 minutes in an 8 hour shift. I drive a 3.5 tonne van - is this right
  • odette: hi! can u give me an idea, because presently my employer wants to keep my passport with them. In this how can i refuse them taking my passport. thanks
  • odette: hi! can u give me an idea, because presently my employer wants to keep my passport with them. In this how can i refuse then taking my passport. thanks
  • Abby: One would think that in a world so technologically advanced like the one we live in, where the previous Iranian election was best tracked by social media sites, that the accessibility of information would expose these crooked antics and migrant workers would not be subject to such conditions. The fact of the matter is that although progress is being made in these transitional nations we are not there yet. I think it is wonderful that your company works to not only bring exposure to these business practices but also works to solve the problems in an economical and humane fashion. Very impressive.
  • John McCormack: I am irish,but have had to move to germany where my partner is from,because of a job i applied for in devon england a month ago.I came out to germany to visit my partners family on the understanding that i had a job as a stud manager on a stud in devon (un named for legal purposes).The owner of the stud and myself had numorous phone calls to each other and at no time did i tell him that i worked with stallions,i was at the understanding that i was managing the broodmare side of the stud as he had told me in every phone call,I drove 600 miles back from germany to devon to be let go 3 days into the job.He also agreed to pay me the cost of my trip which i never recieved.Im very hurt and angry by what happened Regards john
  • Jamie Huskisson: Fascinating
  • Karl: i know that you are entitled to a 20 minute break when you work over 6 hours in a day. so regarding working over 6 hours a day, how long are you allowed to work continuously before your entitled to a break?
  • BLEH: I think that when the police took them Back to the camps was unfair.
  • mags: i work 0900 -1730 and have 1 hour lunch break. i have just learned that our company have discontinued the x2 10 min breaks. are they within thier rights to do this?
  • Yianni: I think this is really cool!
  • shahin: great job
  • Breaks at work? - Netmums Coffeehouse: [...] [...]
  • Passport ‘Intimidation’ « Sreekrishnan’s Weblog: [...] Impactt – “Give me back my Passport” dated July 22, 2009 [...]
  • J.S: Just to clarify, when I say "10:55" I mean 22:55 and "11 or 12" I mean 23:00 and 00:00. Forgot to put AM and PM on them.
  • J.S: I work on a cross-channel ferry starting at 9:25 and finishing at 10:55 on paper, but it's very often until 11 or 12 when we get into port. I'm given two 30 minute unpaid breaks for meals in the day although sometimes when it's very busy they try to make us take less than that (nowadays, i've taken to asking when I'll see the rest of my break and if I don't get an answer, I go for 30. I've been screwed over too many times). But the big problem we have is overtime. Like I said, officially, we work 13.5 hours and that's what we're paid for. But if we work 14.5 or even 15 hours, we still only get paid for 13.5 and it doesn't get noted on our hours worked. They won't pay for the time if it's less than two hours extra and that doesn't roll over. In one week (I do 7days working / 7days off, except when they decide to give us extra shifts) I worked nearly 10 hours extra and it wasn't noted on my hours worked or my wages! Surely that can't be legal...
  • Cherry Evans: I am a carer for my local government and I agree the 6 hours is a long time to work without a break. I feel really tired sometimes, especially when some service users are more complex than others, reams of paperwork to do(and more to come I understand) and the concentration when driving, it really takes it out of you. Then come the 20mins break(on occasion we don't get because of taking into consideration driving to the next location)is spent at my workplace..behind the wheel.
  • Paul: I work in a busy call centre, I start work at 8am-5pm, I have a half hour lunch and a 20 mins break time which I can take when I want but I am expected to go to the toilet and get drinks within this time and if we go over this we get an email advising us that we have exceeded it and it must be reduced, we also have a 15 minute team meeting in the morning which I presume they do this to call a screen break (rather than give us an extra 15 mins to ourselves). Does this sound legal?
  • Nussara: Hi, I find this article very interesting. It makes me think further whether to what extent this can be applicable in Thailand where migrant workers'original docs are always retained by employers with similar excuses. A difference I can see is the Thai Labor Law has no provisions regarding the retaining of employees' original documents. Why? Someone explains to me this is because Thailand hasn't ratified ILO Convention on Forced Labour (C29 and C105. Therefore, in terms of workplace assessment in Thailand's context, I think we need to cite retailers or brands' Codes of Conducts or Ethical Standards to make employers comply. What's ridiculous is some Brand representatives try not to touch on this issue simply because it's not illegal against the local law. In fact, this is non-compliance subject to Brands' ethical standards, and the problem of retaining workers' original docs and/or work permit do exist.
  • Newsnight: Immigrant Workers Exploited : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] follows a flurry of reports this year relating to the mistreatment of migrant workers in the UK garment, meat and fruit [...]
  • Newsnight: Immigrant Workers Exploited : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] to and eventually took their concerns to London Citizens, a community group which campaigns for living wages and works to improve pay and conditions for low paid workers in the capital. These stories are not [...]
  • Alan James: The supermarket should be the target because after watching this programme I had serious concerns about food hygiene and food safety despite the programme and factory stating they had strict hygiene procedures. Some conerns were, all workers having short sleeve shirts, so any cuts or grazes on their arms could lead to product contamination. Most workers did not cover their noses with the face masks. No workers were wearing gloves. The supervisors who are supposed to set an example had the masks under their chins. Therefore, you have to question what sort of pre-qualification or validation was carried out on this factory before orders were placed.It does seem that the only criteria/condition was a low price.
  • L: I understand the 'entitled' bit re: 20mins but can an employee force you to do an unpaid break. For example I want to go home early and would like to work through...
  • Fashion Industry Ethics: Ethical Standards for the Worker is Good Business for the Corporations and the Consumers LOVE IS THE KEY « Love is the Key: [...] Marks & Spencer plc [...]
  • Gangmaster’s Licensing laws to be extended to the construction industry : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] are pleased to hear that the Gangmaster Licensing laws will be extended to the construction industry as part of a government inquiry into the number of [...]
  • The Cost of Living, in Britain and Beyond : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] Across the developing world however and in the production lines of international supply chains millions are being paid wages that are inadequate for a worker to support themselves and their family.  For instance the living wage debate has been argued heatedly in Cambodia where the legal minimum wage in Cambodia is $45 but a living wage has been argued to be closer to $93.   Minimum wages in the global south remain fixed whilst the cost of living increases. [...]
  • The Cost of Living, in Britain and Beyond : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] acceptable level of minimum income is as important as ever.  Furthermore this research can perhaps speak to a wider, international debate on the living [...]
  • Gecko Villa, Northeast Thailand: The crew who filmed the BBC's "Blood Sweat and Takeaways" stayed at Gecko Villa whilst filming the Rice episode in Thailand. Whilst dramatization is a necessity to ensure viewers, the overall picture generated was - within the confines of the genre - a suitably provocative one for Westen viewers. Gecko Villa is a vacation villa in the middle of the rice fields of Thailand's Northeast, and has succeeeded in offering alternative and sustainable employment to the local villagers, and enjoys a good number of repeat visitors who are looking to get off the beaten path and to make a difference when they travel. If the average Western consumer cannot influence the giants of the food industry, they certainly can make informed choices in respect of their holidays! Had Manos, Stacey or others in the team elected to spend their holidays in the region (rather than in a Bangkok corporate hotel) they could have tried out rice planting or reforestation to the extent they chose, whilst enjoying freshly cooked Thai chicken or Tom Yam Kung, knowing the proceeds would remain entirely within the local community and contribute to education and healthcare for the locals, and guarantee an alternative income stream for villagers who otherwise are often forced into migration as demonstrated by the series.
  • sabet amin awwad: i think you have to cooperate with NGOS valunteers to make your effort much more affect.. Journalist - Dubai
  • Ma Maposa: this program really opened my eyes to reality. i would like to be actively involved or take part in any other up coming shows.
  • BOYKO ATANASOV: This is VERY GOOD! Keep going like that!
  • Elica Johnson: I work from 8am- 8pm. Getting paid for 11 h, because we are entitled to 1h break(which we don't get paid for). My colleagues who work daytime get paid fro the full 12h including their break. I believe that when people work for 12h they need more than 20 minutes to be efficient.
  • lavina: primark should let them make clothes for them so they dont need to be poor. what they need to do is raise there payments!!!!!
  • Chris B: I work in a restaurant and often work from 11am to 11pm (and sometimes even longer) and its still only 20 minutes. Its ridiculous. 12 hours on your feet is a very long time
  • wayne: I work in a cal centre where i start at 9am and finish at 5pm. I have two ten min breaks and half hour unpaid lunch. We are always busy and feel like it is none stop and I have a medical condition with my feet and sometimes I need to get up and walk around but too scared to say anything because im agency and when i need time off to go to the doctors for regular blood test they tell me they dont have to give me the time off and to book any doctors or medical appointments when im off but this is not always able to happen. am i in my right to get up and walk around and also to go to my appointments, also i believe there is a law that if your eyes hurt while at work due to the screen you are able to get up and have a break.
  • Network Clothing: Mapping Homeworker Supply Chains : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] community assessments utilised a participatory worker-centred approach to provide a real insight into the situation of the homeworkers. The outputs from this [...]
  • Blood, Sweat and Takeaways : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] the success of last year’s Blood Sweat and T-shirts, the reality TV programme which dropped young fashionistas in Indian garment factories, to [...]
  • MartinButtle: Thanks for your comment. We are pleased that this case study has inspired you.
  • Apparel Supplier India: Thank you very much for sharing this post, I read this post and come to know about New Look I also visited your given website and got information about New look company its good that this company is improving working conditions and this is more productive and profitable factories.
  • Jane Blacklock: Thanks for your comment Jan. Your concerns are common, especially within call centres. Unfortunately there does not appear to be anything wrong with what your employer is doing, as you are being given well over the legally required rest breaks. However, there is guidance from the Health and Safety Executive on how to ensure a safe working environment for those who are at a computer all day. You can find this here: http://www.safeworkers.co.uk/VDUsAndComputers.html Issues like eye strain and repetitive strain injury are the main concerns. Although this guidance is unlikely to prompt your employer to increase your total breaks, it may encourage them to spread your breaks across the day to reduce the strain on workers.
  • » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd | Recruit.org.nz: [...] Pradesh as well as Rajasthan, where recognition of abuses is low. … See some-more here:  » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd Filed under: Immigration and getting work, Job Seekers, Recruitment, Recruitment News, Top [...]
  • Jan: I work in a callcentre 8am - 6pm Lunch is 11am - 12pm with 2x10 minute breaks from 12pm - 6pm it is extremely busy with a constant queue of waiting calls and the computer is in constant use. 6 hours on a computer with only 2x10 minute breaks (toilet and collecting drink)is too much. Is it legal?
  • Jane Blacklock: Thanks for your comment Ayesha, your points are really interesting. In our experience these conditions are common and usually stem from a desire to reduce costs. Much of our work is focused on trying to convince managers that by improving conditions they will actually increase their profits. This is a difficult task as the conclusions are not always intuitive! But the programme seems to be raising some eyebrows in Dubai itself, with inspectors going in to investigate conditions. Let’s hope this is the impetus for radical changes!
  • Vishal Jodhani: Very interesting angle and a thought-provoking read.
  • Ayesha: I saw the documentary Slumdogs and Millionaires on TV. The conditions of the workers appeared even worse than what they would suffer back home. The water in the toilets and shower was stopped on purpose. This raises the question whether Dubai has water shortage or the workers were tortured on purpose? The true reason is the later but for what reason? Control,Degrading treatment,Ignorance, Colour, Arrogance..? How can such a rich country not able to provide basic faciclities to the people who are actually building the country!
  • Jane Blacklock: Company at the centre of Panorama investigation respond to allegations - http://www.arabianbusiness.com/552047-arabtec-ceo-hits-out-after-labour-camp-tv-show
  • Ethics: No Longer a Luxury for Luxury Brands? : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] at best a ‘luxury’ and at worst, the preserve of sandal-wearing weirdos. In 2007, Impactt blogged about WWF’s ‘Deeper Luxury’ report which investigated the performance of 10 luxury brands against issues such as ethical trade, [...]
  • Jane Blacklock:

    Thanks for your comment Adam - we have been getting a fair amount of traffic on this blog and it is good to know that people are interested in it!

    Personally I think that this is a very literal reading of the law, and seems to go against the original intention. The rules for agricultural workers are phrased differently but allow them to have a break for every 5 hours that they work. I do wonder what the EAT was going for with this one!

    You are right that what would appear to be a rule intended to empower workers and improve conditions is now empowering employers and allowing them to reduce break times with impunity.

  • MartinButtle: Adam - thanks for your comment
  • Slumdogs amongst Dubai’s millionaires : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] last year’s Primark on the Rack, BBC Panorama has been investigating labour standards again. This time the BBC exposé focuses on [...]
  • Adam: Ridiculous, 6 hours is a long time, especially in retail/customer service. No break for 6 hours - considering that means you can't technically eat for 6 hours, is a law that means the workers get screwed over while the companies profit. This is even more true now that jobs are scarce and people are afraid to stand up to their employers in case they lose their jobs.
  • Knitwears garment: I am a kintwear factory worker. As the crisis sweep UK. I 'm really worried about my future
  • ricky pointing: Its a Great Challenge to Economy
  • Jamie Huskisson: Fantastic news. Congratulations to Impactt - I look forward to reading further about your new office as you post about it.
  • BMW Criticised for ‘scandalous’ treatment of Agency Workers : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] May Impactt commented on a new deal between businesses and trade unions that would give agency and temporary [...]
  • martin: Hi Robert, Thanks for your comment. We are pleased to get the workers views on this point.
  • Robert, 26: i,m currently on strike at LOR You have hit the nail on the head with your comments on social dumping. I've worked away from my home in Glasgow for over a year now within the UK. I feel more has to be said about what the effects of social dumping is going to have within the UK. Is it right that free movement of labour within the EU will eventully bring my earnings and standard of living down to meet that of a fellow european rather than bring his/hers up to mine? Government spin doctors and pro-europeans can say what they like about the benifits of the EU. But the future of the working class of this country is bleak to say the least. The government bails out our wreckless banks to the tune of billions yet wont even give our concerns the time of day. They know whats happening is wrong ALAN JOHNSON said so himself yet they stand back without any consideration for the british tax payer in fear of upsetting europe. Instead why not rock the boat in europe and see what the responce is. I feel the problem we're having at LOR is our stike commitee does not have enough awareness of european politics to know we can't win this fight without forcing the government to look into the issue of social dumping. This needs to be put more in the spot light if skilled British workers have a future because at the moment the arguments being put forward being laughed at by TOTAL. This is not the first case of suspected under cutting and it wont be last. The only way to win this one is to challenge the government on their loyalty to the British people over their european ambitions. Ram Alan johnson's words down their throats and show the country that they really dont care about the working class anymore. Its all about the bankers and the big companies now!
  • Wild cats, discrimination, social dumping and barges : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] The apparent connections between these continued demonstrations and the Laval and Viking cases of social dumping brought before the European Court of Justice in 2007 and 2008 makes us wonder whether the dispute over sub-contacting at the oil refinery is another case of [...]
  • Bobbie Gardner: Hi there guys! An interesting read! I think community arts can be really effective at exploring the different facets that come into play with social injustice. The arts, especially music is a major passion for the majority of young people. It can serve to help them to see themselves and the world differently; the 'greyness' you were talking about earlier, allowing for a positive contribution to their own futures - as well as society's. I would be really interested to learn about participatory audits that included music making.
  • Using art, music and film to discover unmet needs — Antonio Gould: [...] Ethical trade consultants Impactt are now using creative approaches to help former victims of child labour. [...]
  • Antonio Gould: What a lovely image! This stuff is so important when working with young people - fascinating to see how participatory educational approaches are being applied in this context. Keep us posted on this!
  • Primark in new sweatshop allegation storm « Centre for Sustainable Fashion: [...] Read article Read response from Impactt [...]
  • Shauna Chapman: Every time Primark and the other devils make a slip up it's a boost for ethical fashion. It's the equivalent of some poor chap eating a cheap sausage and finding evidence that it really isn't as it seems.
  • Primark embroiled in UK labour standards scandal : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] Primark are again on the receiving end of allegations relating to labour abuses in their supply chain, this time the factory involved is in the UK.  The Observer, BBC and News of the World this weekend alleged that illegal immigrants are being paid just over half the minimum wage in a Manchester-based garment firm supplying Primark. The supplier, TNS Knitwear, may have breached a number of key employment and immigration laws. Illegal Pakistani, Afghan and Indian migrant workers were allegedly being paid £3 an hour and working 12-hour days, seven days a week. TNS Knitwear supplies an estimated 20,000 garments to Primark every week. Undercover footage of the factory is available to view on the BBC website. These allegations occur only six months after illegal outsourcing and child labour was found in Primark’s Indian supply chain. [...]
  • Rosey Hurst: Hi Tone, really interesting thought. We get nearer to this kind of thing when we are working with groups trying to shift their perceptions and change their attitudes to themselves and their potential. We sometimes use art and singing to encourage former child workers to dream about a better future not involving factory work. By getting them to visualise their dreams,we can encourage them to stick with school to reach these objectives.
  • Antonio Gould: This is fascinating, and made me think of the parallel move in education and youth consultancy. In fact it makes me wonder whether your audits ever include more creative approaches? I wonder whether doing work with drama, music and film would be an interesting way of extracting what people really want and really need?
  • August: A wage of $6/day sure is high if you keep to the real figures in a country like Cambodia that i visited myself in 2004. My guess would be that $2/day is more in the right scope, as a comment. Will look into the game!
  • UK Opt-out of Working Time Directive Under Fire : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] to keep the UK’s status quo and in February this year finally agreed to lend support to the Temporary and Agency Workers Directive as a bargaining tool to maintain the opt-out. There is little question that Agency workers will [...]
  • BrandCultureTalk Blog: Here's another perspective on Nike's corporate responsibility: http://brandculturetalk.com/2008/08/20/to-be-true-or-not-to-be-true-that-is-the-question-for-nike/#more-37
  • Mashuda Khatun Shefali: I saw the War on Want report before it was published.I have to say that, I do not think it is representative at all of Bnagaldesh's garment industry. Currently, Bangladesh has more than 5,500 factories and they have visited only 6 factories and previously met 60 workers (2005) and latest 115 workers, and they seems have chosen six bad factroies. To be a proper study, they should look atleast 15% factories of different categories and they should interview to 15% of workforce.But they have not done this.So the study does not have the professional research character. I believe, this study is completely unfair,biased and on purposes, that they have chosen certain factories to put these industrial sector in a bad light, and to support their opinions. It is all negative, and none of it possitive at all. Nor have they been polite enough to publish this report first in Bangladesh, so it can be seen and discussed by the trade unions, labour support NGOs there, and by the government and the suppliers. By criticizing buyer's audit (Dodgy audits) also indictes that they are uncomfortable with the efforts of remediation and capacity building of the factiories towards enforcing the social and legal compliance that enable the improvement of the working conditions and labour standards. The garment industry has provided a way forward for millions of women in Bangldesh. It is the begining of a women's movement for greater economic empowerment.For now, there is no other alternative sector where women can work at that scale.I represent women workers in Bangladesh. Such types of reports is just damages our prospects.
  • Fashioning la futura conferenza | h-fashion.it moda fashion e gossip: [...] Fonte Main page : Impactt Ltd [...]
  • Fashioning the Future Conference : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] the just the environmental effects. For example, the concept of sustainability could incorporate paying a living wage to workers  in the same way that it involves eliminating polluting industrial processes from production; in [...]
  • Insider view from the ETI annual conference « Centre for Sustainable Fashion: [...] would like to know what went on at last week’s Ethical Trading Initiative conference, read Impactt’s blog for an insider’s [...]
  • Material Concerns: How responsible sourcing can deliver the goods for business and workers in the garment industry « Centre for Sustainable Fashion: [...] November 3, 2008 by nbaldwin This report has been produced by Impactt and Traidcraft. It is aimed at the sourcing and commercial directors of retailers and brands and sets out a new approach to sourcing, which the report claims, both protects and enhances commercial goals and improves labour practices in the supply base. The report provides a set of operational principles setting out the ground rules for efficient and ethical purchasing and scorecards for buyers and suppliers to incentivise efficiency and better ethical behaviour. The report is based on interviews with retailers, sourcing offices, agents, manufacturers and workers. The research was conducted in the UK, Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh and Cambodia. Read the report by downloading the pdf at the Impactt website. [...]
  • Louisa: Good words.
  • dorothy: nicola i agree with you love u 2 x
  • dorothy: we think primark should not do child labour at all love you xxxx
  • shahriar: I never support child labour. But we should have a look some background, why a child is a labour in India? Why s/he come to a factory instead going in school. I got the answer as well. Because their family is not capable to funding them for study...I think study is a very irrelevant matter in this case, they even don’t get their basic needs. And their government also not capable to funding them for food, accommodation. That why, they are getting involve with these kind of clothing production job. Media just do some coverage and insist the factory authority to fired them, But they don’t do any follow up about these children. Most of the cases these children take illegal way to earning and girls go for prostitution. That is more shocking and sad. Shahriar 3rd Year Marketing student
  • craig: http://ccdm04.blogspot.com/
  • Kelsey: This sounds like a great idea, but I'm not sure how practical it would be for abuses other than gross human rights violations. To me, there are too many violators in too many places. Even stopping child labor abuses could be difficult. In the 90's in Bangladesh when the West boycotted Made in Bangladesh products, unions in Bangladesh protested the boycott. The amount of the street children had increased and some out of work kids turned to prostitution. Everything exists in a context, and it's tough to account for a world of contexts in an international law.
  • Fashion News » Blog Archive » Let’s Clean up Fashion Report 2008: Ambitious plans, but little …: [...] MartinButtle added an interesting post today on Letâ
  • Let’s Clean up Fashion Report 2008: Ambitious plans, but little progress : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] Clean up Fashion’ report on the labour standards of high street fashion retailers. Like previous reports it makes fascinating [...]
  • Obtainable But Disposable, Can Fashion Be Sustainable? : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] Panorama’s ‘Primark  on the rack’ (BBC1, 9pm, 23 June 2008) and the BBC reality TV programme Blood, Sweat and T-shirts.The report highlights the paradox of a spending culture that has seen the average number of items [...]
  • Tipping in the Service Industry - Progress! : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] in the UK, the government have announced their intention to reform the rules on the use of tips to ‘top-up’ wages to minimum wage [...]
  • martin: Thanks Antonio. It is a real challenge.
  • Antonio Gould:

    Excellent post Martin. Fascinating to see how you go about improving these things.

  • Homeworking in the Indian garment industry: what are the issues and how can homeworkers lives be improved : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] we noted before homeworking is endemic in the Indian garment industry. It is a fallacy to believe that only Primark [...]
  • Nicola: it is terrible this is what they do to these children and then they lie saying that they do not use child labour its terrible
  • dara yazdani: Hi Interesting thoughts. I sure most international retailers are involved in the murky world of child labour. Deadlines are tight and margins are even tighter. There will always be low paid workers willing to fill the demands of the multi-nationals as long as we have skewed market the favours the West. I have blogged about this on my website www.myspace.com/darayazdani. Please come check it out and leave a comment. Regards Dara
  • Tesco gets a Baracking over labour standards, low wages and animal welfare : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] ChinaLabour standards are now an established issue at the Tesco AGM. Last year War on Want filed a shareholder resolution focused on living wages in Bangladesh. In 2006, Action Aid brought South African farm-worker [...]
  • Debbie: The net result of the Panorama expose is that Primark pulled work from three factories; all those people lose work at short notice. Primark merely re-positions. Child labour is awful but better than starving. Do you really think that those children will now go to school?
  • MartinButtle: Wow really impressed by the number of people who commented on this post
  • MartinButtle: Thanks all for your comments
  • MartinButtle: Thanks Andy and Trudy for your comments.The Ethical Trading Company looks like an interesting initiative. Its important that these communities can earn money without resorting to child labour.
  • MartinButtle: Thanks Ali for your comment. We still maintain that workers should be given a voice. Its not just the low-cost brands that are vulnerable this kind of outsourcing so it might not be as simple as consumers paying a little more. Although this would help.
  • Andy: Trudy, how exactly do you know that other companies are not exploiting people too? Higher prices generally just mean higher margins, not that more is being spent on the supply chain. I fear that Primark is becoming the Tesco of the clothing world, an easy target because of lazy reporting that just focuses upon one player. Clearly Primark is not alone. Furthermore, why do we always have to rely on the lowest common denominator? It's miles travelled with food and now child labour for human rights. Child labour in itself isn't wrong, the reality is this is the only way many families can earn enough money to feed and clothe themselves. More important is guaranteeing their safety , wages and quality of surroundings.
  • Ali: You say "We are therefore none the wiser about how workers (adults and children) felt about their situation..." - surely this is a distraction from the fact that they have no choice? Even if they were blissfully happy to be earning *any money at all* it would not go any way toward justifying the pitiful wages offered by the subcontractors - who, to be fair to them, could never deliver the contract within budget and on time otherwise - the problem clearly lies with the unreasonable expectations and pressure levied by Primark on the original factory. If consumers here pay a bit more for their clothes then the communities we witnessed would be considerably better off and the children would not need to work - it's a simple equation non?
  • Brittany: Boo Primark I used to Love Primark it. But No more!!
  • Andrew: If you are concerned by the ethical standards with which clothes are produced try www.ethicaltradingcompany.com
  • Trudy: With risk of sounding like a cliche i think we can all do our bit to change what we don't like in the world. By not buying from really cheap shops who clearly must be expoiting someone to give us the prices we have now we can literally 'vote with our purchases' or non-purchases so more high street shops and companies take the issue of valuing the people that make what we wear and the environment more seriously. Check out www.ethicaltradingcompany.com - set up to counteract so much of what was revealed in last night's documentary. It produces beautiful clothes and accessories at reasonable prices, is environmentally friendly and fair trade. It even gives a large percetage of profits back to the comunities that it works with; in advocacy, water and sanitation, eduactaion, healthcare programes.. There are other ways and other people out there making a difference so worth looking around...
  • Sponsor a Child India: Hi Martin Thank you for commenting on our charity's blog. Having spent quite a bit of time in India it is clear that child labour is commonplace, from simply running errands, to working in the fields, to hard labour in quarries. We feel that by encouraging parents to allow their children to go to school is the only long term solution to the problem. Our charity (http://www.heal.co.uk/)is actively trying to address this through it's poverty trap project. Thank You. Matthew
  • Noelle: 'Brian'.... very defensive... not a PR exec for Primark then?
  • Geoff Lancaster: Hi Martin We do agree that working with suppliers must be the priority if the value of out investment in the developing world as a supply source (£700 million) is to benefit those who put in the effort. The three suppliers we sacked had all been audited at least once recently were all apparently complying with a remediation/improvement programme we had given them and were all deceiving us by using unauthorised subcontracting. Trust and transparency had broken down. Enough was enough.We will continue working in Tamil Nadu and have announced a range of measures to both tighten up our inspection procedures and to help the local people as grass roots level Geoff
  • Integrity Staffing Solutions: We do not disagree with permanent employment, but we want to help other people find jobs and employers too to find workers that are versatile, and reliable. When it comes to rights of temporary and agency workers, we see to it that their rights are met. Salaries are justified as well as the employers are happy with the contract. Its okay to criticize temp jobs, but we should also look into temp agencies closely, because some of them do business with a heart. We must learn to ask, investigate and learn. Integrity Staffing Solutions, http://www.integritystaffing.com
  • Hannah: Although I'm sure primark do have questionable standards on production, what about other high street stores? At least primark don't put a huge mark up on garments unlike other stores do, I'm sure everybody has enough common sense to realise that paying that little means somebody is missing out. Yet do you feel the same when you purchase something from Topshop or Gap for example? I hope if this programme does air they highlight the fact that this is not only applicable to primark!
  • Panorama, Primark, Child Labour and the Alexa Chung factor : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] news only adds to the pressure on the company’s ethical standards following recent unwanted attention after the cancellation of Alexa Chung’s sweatshop experiment in Covent Garden entitled ‘The [...]
  • Comedian: I have actually worked closely on NGO reports associated with labour standards in the Third World. And some of the largest steady stream of complaints received direct from the garment labour centres are to do with Primark employees. Many of whom are denied basic labour rights, paid an absolute pittance and afforded no basic human dignity or respect. If anyone with a modicum of common sense stops to ask themselves: in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, and a fashion capital…in an advent of hyperinflation and the fashion retail industry elevating costs to previously unseen levels; HOW are PRIMARK able to keep their prices so consistently low? Perhaps this is done out of the goodness of their generous hearts? Perhaps this is all in honour of the poorer consumer? Yes. That must be it.
  • Migrant Workers in the UK… Silent Exploitation?: [...] The Bad Astronomer wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptA recent Guardian leader raised the issue of ‘unheard workers’ in the UK who are suffering under abhorrent conditions working for agencies in industries such as agriculture and food packing. The leader states that, in direct contrast to … [...]
  • Primark Worker:

    The reason the show was not aired last sunday was because Primark as a company needed 10 days to be able to brief their staff about the show and the relevant response to make about the programme to any customers.Working at Primark myself I have been told repeatedly that Primark is an ethical company and that we pay the workers in those countries fairly. I have on may times been asked to sign contacts saying that i am aware of the reasons why we are ethical and i hope that this programme shows a balanced and unbiased approach to our company and we are not the only highstreet shops to purchase our stock from these factories. Cant wait to see the show.

  • Brian, UK: I was disapointed that this programme was pulled from Channel 4 - having monitored the growth of this business I have read one or two uneducated comments from the public who know little or nothing about the company - PRIMARK would never have paid C4 to pull the screening of this programme - I'm confident that PRIMARK would have liked the opportunity to present their point of view fairly. PRIMARK do have an ethical trading policy - and I'm sure that they do everything to conform to working practices and laws set by the EU and the relevant employment agencies in India, Africa, Asia - anywhere in the world.
  • chris smith: see Mardi Gras: Made in China it's about a similar topic. DVD is on Amazon.com
  • marie: It was pulled as they discrinimated against one company even tho the same factorys makes clothes for pretty much every retailer. It has only been post-poned but the programme that gets aired is likely to have been heavily edited to show both sides of the story as it is unfair to show just the problems and none of the work being done to help these countries
  • gavin: i think primark paid channel 4 to boycot the programme, not happy
  • ‘Devil Wears Primark’ pulled off air : » Blog Archive Impactt Ltd: [...] much publicised ‘Devil Wears Primark’ show off air. We are hugely disappointed, as we were eagerly looking forward to the show. We had anticipated some excellent in-factory footage and thought that the use of a [...]
  • mary: Maybe it wasn't gagging of what the show was going to say or expose, maybe it was that it isn't just Primark who are the culprits or indeed maybe the programme makers didn't have enough evidence to convict Primark of their supposed crimes. Has anyone thought that perhaps Primark take a much lower margin than the rest of the high street retailers & buy in much larger volume and thus are able to retail at a lower price? Perhaps Alexa Chung, advocate of Topshop, had a nasty surprise about her favourite high street brand?
  • Malcolm:

    Eagerly awaited the advertised programme only to be told at last minute it was changed. I believe I would judge fairly for myself according to the quality of the programme and its evidence and then I get very annoyed that there seems some gagging of whatever it was going to say. And are we in a state where business can stop any damaging report into its conduct - that there's no freedom to try to tell the truth?

  • becca: im really confused as i wanted to watch devil wears primark...but i tuned into channel 4 at 9pm. And to my suprise without a paddle was on instead. There was nothing on the TV saying that there was a change. Im really confused.?!? Does anyone know when it will be on TV??
  • Paula: Really looking forward to this programme but it looks like it has been pulled for any broadcast. Anybody any ideas why??
  • Beth: Why isnt it on 2nite now? theres a film on instead :@
  • Quick Indian Cooking » Pav Bhaji: After a fashion: [...] been hooked on a riveting BBC3 series [...]
  • laura:

    Hi,

    It was relly great program. Finally child labour problem on TV.
    Children shouldn´t work. They should play and learn and just be happy.

    I am Centras Saint Martins fashion design
    student. We did a collection against child labour "dream a little dream", making 3 garments. Each of them represents an idea what children should live their childhood: play, learn and just be children.
    We a competition at our university and exhibited our work in Manchester.
    These 3 garments are perfect instalation for window display. It is very colourful, peaceful, but still presents the mesege.
    Please text me if you have a interest.

    Thank you

  • Kelsey: I lasted less than five minutes. Darn touch pad! Not that I earned it, but isn't a wage of $6/day a bit on the high side?
  • Jamie Huskisson: A good interactive step towards practical education on the matter. Great find
  • school delays: [...] Child Labourers from Sichuan are oversubscribed same vegetables in Dongguan [...]
  • pearl » Blog Archive » Child Labourers from Sichuan are sold like vegetables in Dongguan: [...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThere are up to 750 bonded child workers in the Pearl River Delta area. Workers as young as 9 years old are sold to factories. Young workers are threatened and beaten if they try to escape. Child labourers are working over 300 hours a … [...]
  • Keri Davies: We'll have to see what we can do. (I'm an Archers scriptwriter)
  • Mark McGuinness: Superb title!
  • Antonio: Excellent evening guys - really enjoyed it. Roll on the next 10 years!
  • Antonio Gould: I was also hugely impressed by the film. I thought the use of non-actors was a very brave step and really gave it a naturalistic edge which I thought made it much more powerful. I've spoken to a few people who like myself donated to the family funds as soon as the film was finished!