Should people do more the ensure their clothes don't support slavery?

[timmothy]

I am struggling lately to get the mentality of people. All these protests for a criminal killed on the other side of the world but the same people protesting are wearing clothes made by modern day slaves. People paid so little they can't support their families, they work in terrible conditions and often have to force their children to work with them so they can feed their family.



I see there is an article on the BBC about prisoners in Peru making clothes and they can send their earnings to their loved ones on the outside. Their earnings a week are more than a garment worker in Ethiopia makes yet that worker has to pay for food, transport and housing.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53234485



Now I have been hearing about sweatshops, child labour and slavery in the fashion industry for years. The only time it comes up is when people die on usually a large scale. Even when 1134 people died in one building due to poor conditions nothing was really done, I didn't see mass protests of brands. The likes of Twitter, Reddit and others did nothing to stop the brand's on their platforms advertising.



It seems such a kick in the face to these poor people who struggle everyday that the people fighting for so called justice in the world wear the brand's that mean they are paid such low wages. I see just giving pages setup in the UK to help various BLM issues in America where the people donating are wearing Nike and Reebok clothes and trainers. So they have the cash to help black lives in America but don't care to spend slightly more on their clothes to help the black lives in Ethiopia?

I can't believe the world has gone so mad and all the double standards. Even the famous people now saying how much they care have clothing brands supporting the poor pay and conditions in these countries. Countries that have been effected by Western European takeover at some point so surely you would think they would want to help?

 

[timmothy]

Yes we have given the world M&S, Primark and all the other crap brands, in the process changed their economy from agrarian to industrial. Then we withdraw contracts and bankrupt them.

Buy fewer clothes and buy from places that support their workers properly.

The worst culprits supposedly for buying cheap throwaway clothing and shoes are millennials. The people protesting on the streets in their now cheap clothes are the millennials.

Also have people seen the videos where they are speaking to the poor neighborhood resident in the USA but they still manage to have the latest iPhone. It's the same here, people claiming they need school dinners as they can't afford to pay for food but have the latest phone. I always have a cheap Chinese phone or secondhand phone even though I work. Having the latest phone is not a necessity like they seem to think.

 

[timmothy]

Definitely. People don't want to pay the actual price for what consumer items would cost if everyone in the supply chain was given a fair wage. We're not given much of a choice as consumers either as it's a race to the bottom on price. I'd imagine a lot of the stuff I own was made by people earning very little.

It's exactly the same for me and I do very little to help. What I don't get is why sites like social media don't help by banning brands like they are doing now for other causes.

 

[timmothy]

You look pretty tall from up on your high horse.

You know, I've spent a bit of time with poor people. Despite what the Tory rags would have you believe, I haven't come across many poor people with "the latest phone" or even Sky telly. Those that do are up to their eyeballs in debt and have just thought **** it and are on their merry way to bankruptcy or crime.

I suggest you do the same. Do some charity work or volunteer at a food bank. You won't keep this type of opinion for very long.

Funny that you say that. I actually spent 7 years working for a charity supporting people back into work.

I'm just saying that a lot of people have their priorities wrong. It's something I saw everyday in my job as an advisor. Newest phone but no heating, takeaways almost everyday but cant afford to buy breakfast cereal.

 

[timmothy]

criminal killed on the other side of the world? really - if u think that what the protest is about you need to take a look at yourself! quite disgusting really

I do understand that is not the main reason in people's minds. He is the poster child for the movement though, nearly every protest picture or video has his name somewhere.
Iprobably shouldn't have worded it that way though. In my mind I was wondering why people don't care when over 1000 innocent people die on the other side of the world. Yet 1 person dies and he is over every city in the UK. If people were happy to pay a fair price for their trainers and boycotted the brand's using sweatshops the problem would be cured. The factory's would be made to pay more to stay in business and they would be able to this because you are paying more.

 

[timmothy]

If anyone is worried about slave labour and clothing manufacture you might keep an eye on the initially kid glove treatment the textile areas of Leicester are receiving. Not only flouting of the lock down laws, perhaps the cause of the rife infections and need for localised lock down again, but progressing to investigation into slave labour, forced to work when ill with the virus symptoms, illegal immigrant workers, VAT fraud and furlough misappropriation.

I cannot believe that it is allowed to happen but as usual people don't want to upset the apple cart. It's an industry in Leicester that could be sorted out in a day by law enforcement going around checking working conditions, visas and job contracts. Yet they are just left to do as they please. A lot of illegal immigrants working there and nothing is done to crackdown on it.

 

[timmothy]

Yep it sure is. I get a lot of my stuff second hand apart from the obvious so i like to think i dont contribute in that way. I cant remember the last time i bought a new phone either. Still rocking a samsung galaxy s7 i paid £50 for lol.

Just out of interest do you mind me asking if you work and if you earn well above minimum wage?

 

[timmothy]

Haha i do indeed work and i have no idea what i earn per hour but its above nat minimum for sure. Comfortably if you add in perks like a car etc.

That is the strange thing. Most people who are frugal like this are actually people who earn enough to not be frugal.

Often the people with new phones, TV's etc are people who can't afford it. I saw it all the time and it boggles my mind. Even on that TV show Rich house Poor house, there was an episode with a single mum who supposedly couldn't afford to feed and clothe her kids properly, they also couldn't have nice days out and had never been on holiday. The thing is all the kids had iPads and they also had takeaways once a week as a treat. Surely your priority would be healthy food throughout the week rather than a takeaway once a week?

It's this sense of entitlement that has ruined so many lives. They know there are no reprocusions to spending above their means as the government will help them. Just claim bankruptcy and start again.

Sorry I know that's off topic slightly but this is the mentality that is ensuring prices are so cheap. Even our poorest who are classified as in poverty can afford the newest brand clothes, phones and electronics. The world shouldn't be like that, it causes huge amounts of waste and expectations.